05/19/2026
Who Is My Neighbor?
One of the greatest commands Jesus ever gave was simple and direct: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). Most people like that verse until they begin asking the same question that was asked of Jesus in Luke 10:29: “And who is my neighbor?”
That question came to mind again this week as members of our church spent the day helping at the Hampton Elementary School’s annual PTO-sponsored Field Day. In addition to the bounce houses, games, water, and snacks, we gave away hundreds of snow cones and cotton candy, and four bicycles. It was a joy watching the excitement on the children’s faces.
Anna Cantrell and the rest of the PTO volunteers did an outstanding job loving on our students. Events like this do not happen without people who are willing to sacrifice their time and energy for others. We were thankful for the opportunity to serve alongside them.
Our church always welcomes opportunities to love on the teachers, staff, students, and parents in our community. As I stood there watching teachers, parents, volunteers, and school staff pouring themselves into the lives of children, I could not help but think about what loving our neighbor really looks like. Sometimes we make loving our neighbor far more complicated than it needs to be.
Loving your neighbor does not always require a big stage or a dramatic moment. Often, it looks like serving snow cones in the Arkansas heat. It looks like encouraging tired teachers at the end of the school year. It looks like investing in children. It looks like giving your time when you could be doing something else. It looks like showing kindness when nobody is forcing you to do so.
In Luke 10, Jesus answered the question, “Who is my neighbor?” by telling the story of the Good Samaritan. A wounded man had been ignored by religious people who saw him hurting but kept walking. Then a Samaritan — someone who would normally have been looked down upon — stopped and helped the man at personal cost.
Jesus made it clear that your neighbor is not just the person who lives beside you. Your neighbor is the person God places in front of you. Sometimes that neighbor is a coworker, a classmate, a teacher, a child, a parent, or a complete stranger who simply needs compassion.
Our world talks a great deal about love, but biblical love is more than words or social media posts. Biblical love acts. It serves. It gives. It notices people. It chooses compassion over inconvenience.
As Christians, we should never underestimate the power of simple acts of kindness done in the name of Jesus. A kind word, a helping hand, or even a snow cone on a hot day may seem small, but those moments remind people they are seen, valued, and loved.
More importantly, those acts point us to the greatest love ever shown. The Bible says in Romans 5:8, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus did not simply tell us to love others; He demonstrated love by giving His life on the cross for our sins.
Maybe the better question is not, “Who is my neighbor?” Maybe the better question is, “Am I loving the people God has placed around me?”
