The following is adapted from Wishful Thinking by Frederick Buechner (page 78):
When Jesus said to “love your neighbor” he was asked by an attorney for clarification. This attorney wanted a legal definition for neighbor in order to help him know exactly who Jesus wanted him to love. This is the sort of answer he was expecting: “A neighbor (hereinafter referred to as the party of the first part) is to be construed as meaning a person of Jewish descent whose legal residence is within a radius of no more than three statute miles from one’s own legal residence unless there is another person of Jewish descent (hereinafter to be referred to as the party of the second part) living closer to the party of the first part than one is oneself, in which case the party of the second part is to be construed as neighbor to the party of the first part and one is oneself relieved of all responsibility of any sort or kind whatsoever.”
In answer to the attorney, Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37) … the point of which seems to be that your neighbor is to be construed as meaning anybody who needs you.
Who needs to be loved by you?
Who needs to be loved by The Table?
p.s. the response of the attorney is left unrecorded as far as I know.
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