But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
But this guy wanted to make himself look good, so he asked Jesus, 'Okay, but who exactly counts as my neighbor?'
When we're trying to look righteous, we love asking for loopholes.
📚 Historical Context
In the Gospel of Luke, a Jewish lawyer is engaging Jesus in a discussion about eternal life, prompted by Jesus' affirmation of the command to love God and one's neighbor. The lawyer's question, "Who is my neighbor?" arises from his desire to justify himself and possibly limit his responsibilities to those within his cultural or ethnic group. This occurs in first-century Jewish society, where "neighbor" was often understood as fellow Israelites, setting the stage for Jesus to challenge these narrow views through the parable of the Good Samaritan.
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