Neighboring Like Enemies, or, Love in God’s Kingdom

Luke 10:25-37 - Jesus's parable of the good Samaritan is one of his most iconic stories, but our overfamiliarity can make its shocking points harder to see. When asked by an expert in Israel's law, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus tells a story that turns the concept of neighbor from object to subject, challenging us all with what it truly looks like to love others as ourselves. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 3 of our series "Imagining the Kingdom: Jesus's stories about the already and not yet reign of God"] Questions for reflection: 1) What is the lawyer's answer to his own question about how to inherit eternal law? How does Jesus respond to it? 2) What do you think motivated the lawyer's follow-up question, "And who is my neighbor?" 3) It is important to know something about the relationship between Israelites and Samaritans in their day. What was the source of their tension? 4) To understand the parable, we have to recognize Jews and Samaritans as enemies. How does imagining your own "enemies" in the Samaritan role change the force of what Jesus is saying? 5) How did Jesus embody this radical neighbor- and enemy-love ethic? How does He embody it toward us, specifically? 6) What might it look like for you to "go and do likewise?"