by Jim Mettenbrink
Consider what it means for the Christian to love God with all his being (heart, soul, mind and strength), which Jesus called the first commandment (Mark 12:30, 31). Jesus continued by expanding on this characteristic of love (Greek – agape) – “And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (v32). About six months earlier, Jesus was asked what a person must do to inherit eternal life. He gave the same answer about loving God and one’s neighbor. But when the scribe asked, who is my neighbor, Jesus answered with a story. Note, Jewish thought loving one’s neighbor was to do no harm (passive), now Jesus’ command was to love (active) one’s neighbor.
A Jew on his way to Jericho was attacked by robbers and left by the roadside to die. A Jewish priest on the same road saw him, but even went to the other side of the road to ignore him, perhaps in denial, not wanting to see him, salving his own conscience. A Levite also passed by wounded man. Both the priest and Levite worked in the temple area in Jerusalem, knew the law given by Moses on Mt Sinai and advocated strict adherence to it, yet they ignored their dying fellow Jew. Then along came a man from Samaria (northwest of Jerusalem). The Jews and Samaritans (half Israelite by blood) hated each other for 500 years. Evidence: In 129BC the high priest led an army to destroy the Samaritan temple at Mt Gerizim. James and John, Jesus’ close disciples wanted to burn a Samaritan village because they were inhospitable to Jesus (Luke 9:51-55). The Jews considered the Samaritan worse than gentiles.
The Samaritan man saw the wounded Jew and bandaged his wounds and took him to a hotel and committed himself to pay all expenses to nurse the man until healed. Jesus’ answer was that to love one’s neighbor was not just being neighborly or helping one’s friends in need, but to sacrifice of oneself and one’s goods to save his arch enemy from death (Luke 10:25-37).
Many people, most noticeable in politicians’ campaign rant, use Jesus blasphemously to say the government should help (read that welfare programs) the needy because Jesus said to love your neighbor. Jesus assigned this to individuals. Nowhere, repeat NOWHERE, in the Bible is government tasked to take care of anyone. Government’s divinely assigned role is justice and defense (Romans 13:1-7). Individuals and congregations are tasked to help those truly in need (Galatians 6:10; 1 Corinthians 16:1-3; 2 Cor 8:1-4).