The Biblical and Christian Worldview
for the 21st Century

We Christians are great at keeping certain concepts fuzzy to prevent our having to deal with the really hard issues of life. The 2^nd Great Commandment is one of those “fuzzies.” We forget that the specific example of the Good Samaritan was given to illustrate “who is my neighbor.” We can only conclude that “our neighbor” is the person that we dislike (hate?) the most, as the Jews hated the Samaritans. That person may be your husband or wife, child or parent, employer or employee, a white or black person, etc. Who is your Samaritan? Whom do you hate? Are you doing good works for him or her?

And, if that illustration is not sufficient, consider the most detailed account of Christ’s final judgment (Matthew 25). Jesus does not ask, “What do you believe, concerning salvation or any other point of theology.” He asks specifically whom you fed, clothed, gave drink, visited while sick or in prison, or provide shelter. “In as much as you have done it for the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me!” If the parable of the Good Samaritan is not sufficiently specific upon which you should act, then Christ gives six (6) specifics here.

The focus of much psychology today is on the self: self-image, self-gratification, self-fulfillment, and self-reflection. Some have even severely distorted the 2^nd Great Commandment that “we must love ourselves, before we can learn to love others.” Balderdash! We already love ourselves far beyond any human justifiable reasons.

This psychology has it all wrong. It is in serving others that we find self-image, self-fulfillment, and other the other “selves” of psychology. And, Jesus has given us such specifics that we are without excuse. Get outside of yourself. Go serve someone! You may just find that many of your “self” problems disappear with an “other” focus. And, you will be fulfilling the 2^nd Great Commandment and the right answers to Christ’s questions on His Final Judgment Day.