Article December 25, 1978 Issue

Neighbor to the world

ELIZABETH BICE LUERSSEN

We can appreciate the quandary of the lawyer in Jesus' day who wanted eternal life but thought the price was too high: to love God totally and one's neighbor as oneself. Luke records, "But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?"^{Luke 10:29;}

We would all like to justify ourselves for failure to live up to the Christian standard. The Master spelled out that standard in the parable of the good Samaritan.^{See vv. 30-37;} It begins, "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead."

It's Samaritan time now, all over the world. Time to be a good neighbor. Christly compassion for others has too often fallen among thieves—been wounded and left for dead. It needs to be resurrected. The special Samaritan sense in us all has got to rise to the occasion; come face to face with the challenges confronting humanity; discern the need and have enough love to help meet that need.

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