The lawyer asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" But that is the wrong question, as the parable of the Good Samaritan shows. He should have asked, "How can I be a neighbor? How can I be the Good Neighbor?"

His first question was "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He knew the correct answer and spoke it to Jesus, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."

In the Bible, the word "love" is more than a feeling. It is action towards someone with whom you have a relationship. We have a relationship with God, and so we worship him and follow his guidance in our lives. We have a relationship with our neighbor, and so we carry out the second tablet of the Ten Commandments toward that person. We love the Lord our God. We have a relationship with this God, and not with other so-called gods and idols. And so we love this, our God. We have a relationship with the people who live around us: our family, friends, and the folks of our neighborhood. Of course we love them or respect them and do good towards them. But how about people who are not "our" neighbors or who are strangers or outsiders? Do we have to love them? Do we have to do good towards them?

The lawyer wanted to justify himself, and said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" but in a good sense, maybe he wanted to know the will of God. Perhaps God wants us to be mean to outsiders? But the parable of Jesus answered that speculation. The Good Samaritan was good to a complete stranger, a person who was not his family, friend, or even fellow countryman. He became a neighbor to someone who needed a neighbor at that time. He showed mercy to the man who had fell among robbers. And Jesus told the lawyer, "You go, and do likewise. "You go and have mercy on those who need your help without asking any questions about their worthiness."

And so in order to justify himself, the man should have asked, "How can I be a good neighbor?" And Jesus would have told the parable of the Good Samaritan which we might also be able to call, the "Parable of the Good Neighbor."

As Christians, we are encouraged by the parable of the Good Samaritan, but we are given power to be a good neighbor by looking at Jesus, the most excellent Good Neighbor. Jesus found us, beaten by the devil and the evil of this world, helpless victims of the greed and cruelty of this world, helpless victims of our own pride and sin and bad habits. He binds up our wounds, that is, he forgives us. He pours on wine and oil, the sacraments of healing. He puts us on his own animal to carry us to the inn, that is, the Holy Spirit leads us to church and the Christian fellowship where we are taken care of. He gives the church, like the denarii to the innkeeper, the gifts of the Holy Spirit where we are cared for. And Jesus will come back, at the end of the world.

Christians are known for being "Good Samaritans." I think that this should be because we know that Christ has come down the road and found us half dead.

Why do we do good to others? If we do good to others because we have to do it, then we are like the lawyer who wanted to justify himself. God said, "Love your neighbor," and if we love our neighbor in order to get right with God, then we are loving ourselves more than loving the neighbor, or more than we love God. Love has to come freely from the heart. But sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes we do good works only because we have to. Maybe someone is watching. Maybe we want to get credit for charitable work. Maybe it is payback because we were helped once, or we hope that we will get helped by someone someday. It is good for this world that people do the right thing for the wrong reasons sometimes. This is the way we sinners are. Yet, it is good training.

Christians are known for being "Good Samaritans." I think that this should be because we know that Christ has come down the road and found us half dead. This is the reason of His Incarnation, His being born at Bethlehem. He came to this world to save poor sinners like us. He hears our prayers and cries for help. He sends his Holy Spirit to heal us and guide us. Jesus came to this earth, but he was set upon by those who hated him. They beat him and stripped him and hung him on the cross between two robbers to die. No one came to help him. He died and was buried. But on the third day he arose from the grave.

Christ speaks to us in today's Gospel. He says, "You go, and do likewise." "You go and have mercy on those who need your help without asking any questions about their worthiness." In them we see ourselves. In them we remember the mercy of Christ. And we become like Christ. We become a good neighbor like Christ.

Amen.