“And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How do you read it?’ And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.'” (Luke 10:26-28)
Most of us do not enjoy cleaning up after ourselves when we have made a mess. But what about cleaning up the mess someone else has made? Parents have to clean up the messes their kids make, from infants to teenagers. Often spouses clean up after each other.
But what about picking up the messes that other people make, people who are not related to us, who we do not know, do not care about, perhaps even hate and despise or who hate us? That is difficult. Many people earn a living cleaning up the messes other people make such as sanitation men and teachers. Those nurses, aides and orderlies in the medical professions who work with the sick and the disabled get paid to help those who cannot help themselves. Although they get paid for it, that type of work still takes a patient, loving, kind, and compassionate person to do it. A person like the Good Samaritan.
Jesus taught that love is boundless. It flows freely from a heart and lifestyle filled with humility, compassion and mercy. This love is exemplified by the Samaritan. He placed compassion before everything else: safety, time, energy and money. He loved someone who he did not know, who most likely hated him just because of his nationality. He didn’t care. He saw the need and went out of his way to help.
The Samaritan exemplified the character of the Lord Jesus. When we where on the road to hell, dead in our trespasses and sins, Jesus came to help us. We could not be made right with God by religious works and sacrifices, or even by good deeds because even they are tainted by sin. Jesus came down to earth to clean up the mess we had made, to suffer the penalty for our sins. He did this while we were still sinners. Before we loved Him, He loved us and gave Himself for us.
Jesus wants us to do the same. Jesus exhorts us to clean up the mess of anyone and everyone He happens to place in our way. Our neighbor is not merely the person who lives next door or down the street, or our relatives and friends. We are to show God’s love by doing good works for people we do not know, people we may not like, and who may not like us. Our neighbor is anyone in need of God’s mercy.