Devotional - 98-02-08 - Neighbors

The Bible, and Jesus in particular, has some poignant things to say about who is our neighbor and how we are to treat our neighbors.

(Luke 10:29-37 NASB) But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" ³⁰ Jesus replied and said, "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho; and he fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went off leaving him half dead. ³¹ "And by chance a certain priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² "And likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ "But a certain Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, ³⁴ and came to him, and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵ "And on the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return, I will repay you.' ³⁶ "Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?" ³⁷ And he said, "The one who showed mercy toward him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same."

(Exo 20:16 NASB) "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

(Deu 19:11-13 NASB) "But if there is a man who hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and rises up against him and strikes him so that he dies, and he flees to one of these cities, ¹² then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. ¹³ "You shall not pity him, but you shall purge the blood of the innocent from Israel, that it may go well with you.

(Rom 13:9-10 NASB) For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." ¹⁰ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.

(Gal 5:14 NASB) For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."

(Rom 15:2 NASB) Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.

Jan