Am I a good neighbor?

Kris Eldridge Sept. 20, 2018

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I recently came across the National Calendar website that designates something to celebrate for every day. For instance, did you know that September 9 is “National Wiener Schnitzel Day?” Who knew? I hate that I missed celebrating that! On September 29, we’re celebrating one of my favorite things: “National Coffee Day.” 

As I looked through the calendar, one day stood out: “National Good Neighbor Day,” which falls on Wed., September 28. As I thought about that day and that title, I couldn’t help but think and ask, am I a good neighbor?

I would like to think that I am a good neighbor, but am I really? I was immediately drawn to the Parable of the Good Samaritan to remind myself of the lessons learned from this story, as well as to evaluate from God’s Word, What kind of neighbor am I?

Lesson #1:The Good Samaritan took action.  He got off his donkey, literally! The Samaritan’s response was not just a feeling. The Samaritan allowed his feelings to lead to action. He bandaged the man’s wounds—probably tearing up his own garments for this purpose. He poured wine to cleanse his wounds and used oil to soothe the pain. Then he placed the man on his own donkey and led the animal down the hot, dusty road to an inn which meant the Samaritan would have to walk. 

Lesson #2: The Good Samaritan sacrificed his time, talents and treasures. Once they got to the inn, the Samaritan continued to look after the man. He told the innkeeper, “When I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you have.” He said this with no reason to believe there was any hope of recovering his money. This should remind us that genuine neighborly love may mean interrupting our schedules, putting aside our to-do lists, expending our money, ruining our property—even for a stranger. 

Lesson #3: The Good Samaritan had great courage.The Samaritan’s actions demonstrated great courage. After all, this was Jewish territory and a Samaritan transporting the Jewish victim of a mugging would be subject to all kinds of misunderstanding and misinterpretation. His compassion and love overruled any fears he might have had.

Lesson #4: The Good Samaritan saw every person in need as his neighbor. The word “neighbor” has lost much of its meaning these days. Usually, we don’t even know the people who live next door. We tend to spend our precious time with people we enjoy and end up defining a “neighbor” as someone whose company benefits us in some way. However, the story of the Good Samaritan overhauls this philosophy. It teaches that our neighbor is someone we see who has needs, not someone who offers us something. 

After praying and thinking through this story, I realize that I have a long way to go to be the neighbor God wants me to be.  How about you?  What kind of neighbor are you?  More importantly, what can you do this week to be a good neighbor to those around you?

Photo source: istock 

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Kris Eldridge lives in Louisville, Kentucky and is the Local Outreach Pastor at Northeast Christian Church. He is also the founder of Outreach Ministry Solutions, where his focus is consulting with churches to help them reach their communities. Learn More »

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