On one occasion, a legal expert asked Jesus: “And who is my neighbor?”

Jesus replied: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.

A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.”

Jesus concluded by asking: “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

When we think of the word “neighbor,” we may imagine someone independent of us, close or far away.

For Jesus, the word “neighbor” is not about the other person, but about our disposition toward others.

How much of a “neighbor” is the one who suffers to me? Or even better, how “close” to my heart is the suffering of others? This could also indicate the state of my spiritual life.

The next time you see someone who is suffering, you could pass by, or you could look at them with the eyes of Jesus, seeing them as your neighbor, and be moved with compassion.