At one time, a man who deemed himself righteous and wanted to evade his duties toward his fellow men, asked Jesus the question: “Who is my neighbor?” To this question, Jesus answered with the awe-inspiring story of the merciful Samaritan – that beautiful parable that reflects the love of Jesus himself and which, at the same time, is an injunction to his followers.
Christ came to this world with a particular purpose – to seek and save that which was lost. In harmony with the sermon about the Kingdom of God, he was doing good everywhere where he passed. He cured the sick and brought healing to those that were brought to him. By his good deeds, Jesus was striving to bring the truths of the saving message closer to men.
To his disciples, Jesus gave the same task. They were always to extend a helping hand to those who were in misery and were in need of compassion. A Christian cannot close his heart to the needs of others and pass them by indifferently, but he will always be ready to help with kindness. One thing that distinguishes Christianity from the multitude of heathen religions is its principle of readiness to serve others.
It is a Christian and human duty for us to be ready to help anyone who is in need, without calculating in advance whether the needy one deserves such help, or whether he would later prove to be worthy of it.
Everyone who is in need, no matter what his background is, is our neighbor.
True Christianity sees only the man whose need must be relieved. Thus Jesus presented this issue in the parable of the merciful Samaritan, thus he acted himself, and this is what he desires of his followers in our days.
Therefore, in our time, no one should pass by indifferently the need in which our fellowmen have found themselves, nor deny them the help that they are asking him for. There is no excuse for the one who can help but does not want to do so, just as there was no excuse for the priest and the Levite for their merciless neglect.
When someone’s life is threatened by some catastrophe that is hanging upon him, there will always be people who – because of the feeling of charity toward their neighbor – will be ready to try and help him evade this danger, even to the risking of their lives. In such a case, nobody stops to ask the one who is threatened of his nationality or background. He is just a man who needs to be helped.
The merciful Samaritan not only found good words of compassion and comfort in the case, but he also realized very well his duty to help. The act of love is more forcible than mere profession. Nobody thinks that the common need does not affect him too, and today in our wide world there is no need to give explanations for this, as it is self-evident. This is why in our present situation we need humble men and women of duty who will not first ask “Who is my neighbor?” but will always be ready to give timely help to their brother who is found to be in need.
The elevated task of Christianity
We are living in a world where everywhere can be seen utter helplessness and despair. It is no wonder that the desire for a more elevated life, free from the fetters of our mortal state, is constantly agitated by those who are surrounded by grief and sorrows. Their sincere desire is to be freed from their service to temporal things. What a momentous message Christianity has, that it must bring to men.
“For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us…” “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” 1 John 1:2, 4.
A life in complete joy! While we are still in this life of sorrows, we can feel the eternal bliss. The self-denial of the Christian does not mean self-destruction, but – on the contrary – the restoration of the highest moral principles in an immortal, conscious life. This is the ultimate goal that God desires to achieve for every one of His children.
The strength of the Christian’s life does not lie in the number of Christians in the world, not in the military equipment of any nation that professes the Christian religion, nor in the piles of silver that they have. The strength of the true Christian, the one who is Christian in heart, is so much greater as he has entrenched the principles of the Bible in his life and attitude toward others.
In the end, all human history is nothing more than an account of the great controversy between Christ and Satan for the affections of the human heart. For God to gain the victory, he has established a system of truth that would lead men to him and restore the great principles of his moral government in their hearts. Thus they would become subjects of his eternal kingdom and they would be freed from the curse of death. The motivating principle of the gospel is summarized in these words that were uttered by God to Abraham:
“And I will bless thee… and thou shalt be a blessing…” Gen. 12:2
To aid in the salvation of those who are dying in ignorance and sin, true Christians are willing not only to do missionary work, but also to devote their lives to the service of their Master, because “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. According to this verse, how a believer treats his task to be a blessing to others, so he would receive blessings in proportion to his devotion. May God help us be worthy of the highest task of the Christian calling.