But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? Luke 10:29.

This discussion began when a "certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" The answer to the question is not as simple as we sometimes would believe. A true moral and spiritual response to the demands of Christianity is more than an intellectual nod of the head. It calls for personal involvement.

First Christ said, "Make Me master of all your money." This is not easy. Second, "So love Me as to put Me first above everything else." That is not easy, either. Third, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." Now that is getting rough.

For instance, we are required to love God and our neighbor for billions of years. How do you love—and live with—the same people for a billion years? Some don't seem to be able to do it for a year. We all have the invitation from God. He has gone to prepare a place for us. That means our heavenly mansion is going to be open to everybody on the planet. Every day will be open house. We are going to love everybody without exception.

However, Christ is talking about life down here. "Love thy neighbour as thyself." Who is our neighbor? Or does it make any difference? What race? White, black, yellow, red? The text does not say. What is his creed? A Baptist, a Mormon, a Roman Catholic, a member of Jehovah's Witnesses, an unbeliever? Member of Campus Crusade; Jew or gentile? The text does not say.

In answering the question Who is my neighbor? Christ gave the story of the good Samaritan and his treatment of the man who had been beaten by robbers. Today there are a lot of people in a similar position to the man on the Jericho road people who go to bed hungry, people stripped of security and happiness, people ground down by the pressures of life.

When we are involved with God we are involved with people. Jesus had compassion. It was something that He was, not just something that He taught. Love is something we are and do.