“'Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?' The expert in the law replied, 'The one who had mercy on him.' Jesus told him, 'Go and do likewise.'” Luke 10:36-37
I think back to my experiences in middle school as I interacted with all my peers, some who I’ve gotten to know since elementary school and others who are brand new. There was this inner desire to fit in, to get along as I entered this new school environment. However, this feeling came with its ultimate downfalls. I sought the approval of those around me to the point of compromising friendships. As a group of peers approached, there were insults and name-calling that were completely uncalled for. There was a humiliation and negativity that for some reason made these peers laugh and seemed to bring them joy. And one day, as we were waiting for a class to begin, these peers made fun of one of my good friends from elementary school. She didn’t do anything to deserve it, yet they still did it. And as I stood there, with two decisions and two totally different possible outcomes, I chose poorly and joined in to “fit in” with the crowd. Till this day, I cannot imagine the pain that this may have brought, having one of her good friends betray her rather than take her side.
Not too long after, this same peer group directed the bullying towards me. And as I stood there listening to their comments, there stood my friend who had every opportunity to give me what I deserved for the way that I turned my back on her. But instead, she cared for me and showed grace. She turned away the group of bullies and chose to encourage me, even though she didn’t have to.
Jesus’ love, grace, and mercy for us is just like this story but on a much grander level! Romans 5:8 says, “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. Even in our sinful nature, God chooses to love us. And when we realize how undeserving we are of this tremendous display of love, how can we not show this kind of love to those around us? It is out of the overflow of this kind of love that we can love others, even those who may seem unlovable.
We are called to love our neighbor as ourselves. In the parable, only one of three figures helped the beaten down man. Don’t be like the other two, but instead be like the Samaritan, the one who displayed mercy, the one who cared. Now go and do likewise.
