Having defined “neighbor” and “love,” Jesus then answered the implicit question behind the others, “What is our mission?” The answer to the question of who was the neighbor to the vulnerable man was obvious: “the one who showed him mercy.” Jesus’ response was, “You go, and do likewise” (Luke 10:37). The mission of Christ does not start with the giving of the Great Commission or with the pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost. This is instead when the church is joined to a preexisting mission.
