Who Is My Neighbor?

Text: Luke 10:25-37

Introduction: Kitty Genovese was the oldest of five children in a middle class, Italian-American family raised in Brooklyn, New York. After her mother witnessed a murder in the city, the family moved to Connecticut. Kitty, however, decided to remain in New York. At the time of her death, she was working as a bar manager at Ev’s 11th Hour Sports Bar in Queens.

On the fatal night of her murder, Kitty left work and arrived home about 3:15 a.m. She parked about 100 feet from the entrance to her apartment at the rear of the building. She was quickly overtaken by Winston Moseley, a business machine operator, who stabbed her twice in the back. Kitty screamed, “Oh my God, he stabbed me! Help me.” Her cry was heard by several neighbors, but on a cold night with their windows closed only a few recognized the noise as a cry for help. One neighbor shouted out the window and Moseley left. Kitty crawled out of view but couldn’t get into the building. Ten minutes later, Moseley returned to repeatedly stab and then rape Kitty. The number of witnesses to at least portions of the attacks was probably about 12, though early reports listed 38. The refusal of so many to get involved gave rise to the expression, “the Genovese Syndrome.” Many who recall this story from the 60s see a connection between the parable of the Good Samaritan and Kitty’s fate.

1. Background: In Luke 9:57-62, Jesus was approached by three potential followers, but each found a reason for not joining Him. When the first one heard about the sleeping arrangements for the team (v.58), he left. The second had funeral arrangements that took priority-his passion for discipleship was inadequate (v.59), Finally, a third wanted a farewell party, and Jesus sensed a lack of commitment (v.62). Three dropouts! That’s why the approach of the lawyer in Luke 10:25 seemed hopeful. Perhaps he would join the Jesus movement. The lawyer’s question was a good one: “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” But his motive was tipped off with the words “tested Him.” He was a lawyer, an expert on the Old Testament Scriptures. Like many others, he was interested in embarrassing Jesus in front of the crowd. Jesus answered by asking another question: You’re an expert, what do the Scriptures say? 1. The lawyer quoted Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. His answer was good-follow the law. But he still had a problem. Since the Leviticus passage talks about loving our neighbor, he wanted to know: “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus’ story looked into the lawyer’s heart to discover that he really wasn’t after information. He sought to justify himself and wanted to look good in front of the crowd. By the end of the Good Samaritan story, Jesus had made a significant change of focus from “Who is my neighbor?” (10:29) to “Who was a neighbor?” (10:36).

2. Setting: The Jericho Road. This road was 17 miles long and descended 3,000 feet from Jerusalem to Jericho. It was wilderness territory lined with caves that provided hiding places for robbers. Priests and Levites who had ministries in the Jerusalem temple preferred to live in Jericho, the city of palm and fig trees. The priest and Levite were probably on their way home to Jericho after a busy day. But on this day, a man laid on the road, the victim of a vicious beating and robbery. This was one of their kinsmen, but they were busy and homeward bound. The priest crossed to the other side of the road. The Levite did a little better: He at least took a look. But then he too moved on.

3. History: The power of this parable is found in making a Samaritan the hero. After Babylon took Judah into captivity and Assyria captured the 10 northern tribes, the 10 tribes intermarried with the Gentile Assyrians. Pure Jewish blood was “tainted.” A hateful rivalry ensued. It helps us to understand John 4:9: “Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.” Or John 8:48, as they hurled insults at Jesus and reached the epitome of insults: “You are a Samaritan!” It was shocking to put a Samaritan in the story. Today’s equivalent would be to make a member of the PLO the hero who helps a wounded Israeli soldier.3.

4. How do you love a neighbor? Love is a verb in this story. And here are the actions:

• Compassion (Luke 10:33). “He had compassion.”
• Contact (10:34). “He went to him.” Defilement was a taboo for the Jewish workers in the temple, but Jesus has the Samaritan touching the victim.
• Care (10:34). He used wine as an antiseptic and oil as an agent of healing, and he carried the man to Jericho on his donkey, while he walked.
• Cost (10:35). He gave two denarii to the innkeeper to cover costs. In biblical times that would equal 2 days wages. He also promised to pay more if needed. This is how you love a neighbor who is hurting. But now the power of the teaching of this parable.

5. Who was his neighbor? What is the extent of neighborliness? A Samaritan did all of this for a Jew! He was different in:

• Culture
• Language
• Race
• Religion

Dave Gibbons, who pastors a church in California, recently wrote the book The Monkey and the Fish. In it, he comments on the parable of the Good Samaritan and asks, “How does this story affect the way we do church?” He reminds us that in the 80s and 90s, the way to grow a church was through the homogeneous principle: Find people who look like and talk like you, and they will readily be attracted to your church. Today, all of that has changed. Gibbons wrote: “I’m sitting in a coffee shop in Irvine, a place that just ten years ago was predominantly white, middle class, conservative, and Christian. It’s a microcosm of how the world is being reshaped. Forty percent of Irvine’s population is made up of Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indian, Latino, and Vietnamese people” (p.77). Our cities and neighborhoods are also changing. Will we, like the Samaritan, love our neighbors who are different from us? Will we move out of our comfort zone and embrace the diversity of the hurting people around us so that our churches reflect our community? We can reflect the Revelation scene here on earth: “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Rev. 7:9).