Jesus’ Neighbors

“Who is my neighbor?” asked the lawyer, and Jesus’ answer was the story of the Good Samaritan. The life of Jesus gives many other answers. Who was Jesus’ neighbor? The paralyzed man, the daughter of Jairus, the penitent woman, the widow and her dead son, the boy with a basket of bread and fish, Judas, Pilate, Peter, the Pharisees, the one who loaned his donkey for Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem, the women who provided food for the disciples, the widow who offered two copper coins to the temple treasury, Nicodemus, the moneychangers in the temple, the Samaritan woman, the adulteress brought to Jesus by the scribes, the man born blind, Lazarus, Martha and Mary, the criminals on each side of Jesus on Calvary, and innumerable others. Everyone. Jesus saw everyone as his neighbor. And Jesus says to us, “Then go and do likewise” (Lk. 10:37).