Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

“Compassion … ”

Luke 10v36-37 “ ’Who was a neighbour?’ … ‘The one who had mercy on him.’ ” (NIV)

Jesus loved telling stories – stories with a meaning. On one particular occasion he was discussing the command “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Luke 10v27), and the religious expert asked him “Who is my neighbour?” (v29) The expert was seeking to limit his responsibility, and to provide an explanation for why he might not care for some.

But Jesus turns the question around with the “Good Samaritan” story: firstly, he includes a foreigner as the hero of the story, and then, at the end, he asks, “Which of these do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The question has turned from “Who is my neighbour?” to “Am I being a neighbour – even to those who are against me?”.

The expert in the law identifies the foreigner as the real neighbour, and so Jesus tells him, “Go and do likewise”. Jesus says the same to us today – what does it mean for you to be a neighbour?

With love and blessing,

Roland