Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" He answered, "You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this and you will live."

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

Luke 10: 25-28

Who is your neighbor? Christian or Atheist, it does not matter. If your neighbor needs you, you are directed to help in whatever way you can.

Jesus wanted this parable to challenge His listeners. The stories of the Good Samaritan and the good atheist remind us of this high standard of God's Word: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Needy people need our helping hand.

Our Daily Bread - November 6, 2004