A man once asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
It’s a question we still ask today—sometimes out loud, sometimes in how we live.

Jesus answered not with a definition, but with a story.

A man from Galilee’s was beaten, robbed, and left for dead on a road. He cried out for help, but two respected, religious men saw him and passed by. A squad of soldiers came by, and vowed to hunt down the robbers and smite them with the Lord’d Vengeance.

Then a man from Samaria came by. The victim was saddened, because Samaritans and Galileans don’t always get along. But the Samaritan stopped and bandaged the man’s wounds, then helped him to his feet. Together they managed to limp into the nearest village.

Jesus asked his questioner, Which one was the neighbor?

The answer is clear: the one who showed mercy.

The lesson is just as clear—and just as challenging.

Being a neighbor isn’t about proximity. It’s not about who is like us, agrees with us, or belongs to our group. It’s about how we respond when we see someone in need.

We live in a world full of reasons to pass by:

• “I’m too busy.”
• “Someone else will help.”
• “They don’t deserve it.”

But Jesus calls us to something higher.

He calls us to see people.

To stop even when it’s inconvenient. Maybe even especially then.

To help even when there might be some risk or danger.

To love without conditions.

Because real love isn’t theoretical—it’s practical. It shows up. It gets its hands dirty. It crosses boundaries.

So today, ask yourself:

Who is lying on the road in your life?
Who have you been walking past?

They may not be near by. They may be in Ukraine, or Sudan. Or they may be sleeping under a bridge just down the street from you.

And then hear Jesus’ final words in that story:
“Go and do likewise.”    So, like, do it already!