The Good American

“Kindness is choosing love over hate, light over darkness, compassion over judgment.” —Raktivist

Jews and Samaritans did not get a long in Jesus’ day. They had a strong hatred and a biased for one another.

When hatred stirs for our fellow man, Jesus offers the simple solution to love them like a neighbor. Who is my neighbor? Jesus gives the answer in the parable of the Good Samaritan.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’“

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Our neighbors are the ones who have mercy, we are the loving neighbor to those on whom we have mercy.

Jews and Samaritans did not get along. Hatred was returned for hatred. A Samaritan stepped up and stopped the cycle of hatred and had compassion and showed mercy to a wounded man.

Jesus commands you go and do the same. In a world that is full of hatred, hostility, vengefulness, and neighbor turning against neighbor, we have done anything but love our neighbors as ourselves. We have a unique opportunity at this point in our history to be the Good American. Jesus called the Samaritan good for a reason, because of his kindness and mercy. We can be good, as well.

Our issue today isn’t even nation against nation. The problem is within our own country, within the not so United States of America. It’s within our own walls that we fight against ourselves. We need to once again be the United States of America as one nation under God.

We have the opportunity to show compassion, love kindness and mercy. We can be the Good American. When we show these acts of kindness we are doing them for Jesus himself. ”I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40

We can put down the fists and pick up our injured brother on the side of the road and bandage his wounds and heal his heart with our love. I hope you would choose to love your neighbor and be that kind of Good American today!