Vision 2020Sample

Day 6

Love Your Neighbor

Luke 10:27-30 The man answered, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.” And, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”  

One day Jesus was asked a significant question by a religious leader, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” This man was interested in hearing what Jesus had to say about the topic of eternity.  

Jesus turned the question back to him. The man acknowledged that eternal life is given to those who love God deeply; those who demonstrate this love for God both by the way they live and the way they love others.

Unfortunately this religious man still did not get the full message about salvation. In an attempt to justify religious zeal that lacked in loving involvement with people, he asked Jesus to define “neighbor.” 

Jesus proceeded to tell the story of a person who demonstrated real love for God and others. It is the familiar story of The Good Samaritan.

The essence of the story is that many people who claim to be religious do not truly understand God’s heart. They uncompassionately pass by people in problems and facing pain, avoiding personal involvement and investment. While they may appear to be spiritually mature, externally, engaging in the right spiritual activities, they are missing an essential ingredient of heart––true love for their neighbor.

The story contrasts the responses of folks whose religion is primarily for show with that of a despised Samaritan who had the right kind of religion. He took the time to get involved in the process of helping a hurting man. This Samaritan had a compassionate heart. At his own expense, and sacrificing his own comfort, he made sure the beaten man was cared for and cured. He demonstrated the real stuff of salvation––a transformed heart that loved God and cared for others.

This parable was Jesus’ way of creatively communicating how genuine love for God affects us. The saving kind of love for God is the kind that makes us caring and compassionate people. Real salvation causes us to love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind, AND it causes us to love our neighbors as ourselves.

How real is your relationship with God? In what ways can you better show your love for God by compassionately caring for your neighbor?