Love your Neighbor Pt. 1 — The Parable of the Good Samaritan

The Parable of the Good Samaritan & The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. (Gospel of Luke 10:25–37; Gospel of Matthew 18:21–35)

Loving your neighbor is a central aspect of the Christian faith and is considered to be one of the two greatest commandments according to Jesus. He teaches that love should be given to all people, regardless of their beliefs, background, or actions. This is because everyone is made in the image of God, and as such, should be treated with love, compassion, and respect. Loving your neighbor is not just limited to those who are close to you, but extends to everyone you come into contact with, including strangers, those who are different from you, and even your enemies.

But who is your neighbor in the first place and what does it mean to love your neighbor?

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is one of Jesus’ most well-known teachings, found in the book of Luke (10:25–37). In this parable, a lawyer asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus responds by asking the lawyer what is written in the law. The lawyer answers that one must love God with all his heart, soul, strength, and mind and love his neighbor as himself. Jesus agrees with this answer and then tells the parable of the Good Samaritan.

The parable is about a man who is traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and is beaten and left for dead by robbers. A priest and a Levite, both respected religious figures, see the man but pass by without helping. But a Samaritan, a person whom the Jews considered an outsider and enemy, stops to help the man. The Samaritan binds the man’s wounds, takes him to an inn, and pays for his care. Jesus then asks the lawyer, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” The lawyer responds, “The one who had mercy on him.” To which Jesus says, “Go and do likewise.”

The Parable of the Good Samaritan teaches the importance of showing love and compassion to others, even those who may be considered our enemies or outsiders. It reminds us that our neighbor is anyone in need, regardless of race, religion, or background. The parable also shows the contrast between the actions of the priest and the Levite, who represent the religious establishment, and the actions of the Samaritan, who demonstrates true compassion and love.

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, found in the book of Matthew (18:21–35), is another teaching of Jesus that relates to the importance of forgiveness. In this parable, a king forgives a servant a large debt, but the same servant refuses to forgive a fellow servant who owed him a much smaller debt. The king hears of this and has the unforgiving servant thrown into prison. The other servants, seeing the injustice, were afraid and went to the king to tell him what had happened. The king calls the unforgiving servant and says to him, “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?”

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant teaches the importance of forgiving others. Jesus emphasizes that we must forgive others just as God has forgiven us. If we do not forgive others, we are not forgiving the debt that God has forgiven us. The parable also shows the consequences of not forgiving others, as the unforgiving servant was thrown into prison. The parable reminds us that we must show mercy and forgiveness to others, just as God has shown mercy and forgiveness to us.

In conclusion, both the Parable of the Good Samaritan and the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant are teachings of Jesus that relate to the importance of love, compassion, and forgiveness. The Parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us to love and help others, even those who may be considered our enemies or outsiders. The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant teaches us the importance of forgiving others just as God has forgiven us. These parables challenge us to be more like Jesus, to show love, compassion, and forgiveness to all people, regardless of who they are or what they have done.

For the next entry titled: “Love your Neighbor Pt. 2 — The Parable of the Adulterous Woman”, click here.

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