This last week in my New Testament class, we went over the parable of the Good Samaritan. My teacher, Brother Griffin, reminded us that Joseph Smith said that one of the keys to understanding a parable is to see what question or concern brought it on. In this case, a lawyer asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus pointed him to the law of Moses which says to love the Lord and love your neighbor. To this, the man asked, "And who is my neighbour?" I would like to briefly explore this question.
Who is my neighbor? Many of us have likely asked this question. If loving our neighbor is a commandment to inherit eternal life, who do we need to love to get in to heaven? Jesus gave us some insight when he said, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you."
How can we obtain this love for all, even our enemies? Moroni, a prophet of God, gives us this council, "Pray unto the Father with all energy of heart that ye may be filled with his love."
Loving all people is certainly easier said than done. It is human nature to be focused on our own lives and our own progress. Jesus lost his life in the service of others and he tells us that if we lose our lives for his sake we shall find it. He also reminded us that if we serve others we are serving him.
It is easy to get caught up in our busy schedules and other seemingly critical tasks. I certainly sometimes fall victim to being so lost in my own thoughts that I forget to think of others. I have had times when I've seen someone who looks sad whom I have never met. I feel a small urge or prompting to go and talk to him or her but more often than not I don't heed it.
Why don't I serve my neighbor? What is holding me back? Here are a few rationalizations I've had:
-They might not even want help. Maybe they're just fine and I'm over-thinking things.
-I have never met them in my life and they might think I'm weird.
-I'm not a missionary anymore. Normal people just don't walk up to random strangers and ask them how their day is going.
-I'm busy.
All of these excuses are inherently selfish. Our living prophet, President Monson said, "Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved." In a hundred years, it's not going to matter whether or not I missed those first five minutes of class. It will matter if I have always strived to love other people and been concerned for the one.
I know that as I pray to be filled with the love of God, he gives me opportunities to develop that love. He doesn't simply fill me with it; he gives me opportunities to develop it by presenting me with more opportunities to lift and help my brothers and sisters. It may be uncomfortable for us to try to comfort a random stranger who looks sad, but it wasn't at all comfortable for Jesus Christ to suffer for our sins and the sins of the entire world. If we are to become like him, we must get out of our comfort zones.
Though I am far from perfect and still have many challenges to overcome, I know my Heavenly Father helps me as I put my trust in him. He has helped and will continue to help me love others and maybe even be an answer to someone's prayer. I invite you to ponder within yourself the question, "Who is my neighbor?" and see whose life you can touch today.
"Because I have been given much, I too must give."
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