Thought for the Week 7th May 2017

4.   Be a Neighbor – We need to be a neighbor to everyone, not choose who we would like to be our neighbor.          

Luke 10:25-37

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “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. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

A long time ago a Christian leader said something to me that I have always been challenged by.  He said ‘if you truly love God you will love the things that God loves’. 

In the conversation that led to Jesus telling the parable of the Good Samaritan we see this connection being made abundantly clear.  Jesus asked the expert in the law what it is that is at the very heart of the law.  The expert replied by saying “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

It is clear from this that loving God means loving the people that God loves because God loves them – you can’t have one without the other!

Yet the expert in the law, just like we do, wanted to put a limit on the people that he had to love as a result of God loving him.  He wanted to be selective and not inclusive of all people so he asked the question “And who is my neighbor?” essentially, ‘Who do I have to love?’

A number of years ago I was on a rooftop with around 40 pastors looking across the community and asking Jesus how we can join Him in His mission.  One of the pastors shared with the group that as he looked across the community he asked God why he was doing this because anybody who crossed the entrance into his church building was welcome.  God spoke to Him and reminded the Pastor that His welcome doesn’t begin at the entrance to a church building. It is not just for those that will come to us.  We must go to them and where they are and as they are share the love of God with them.

By telling the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus turned the expert in the laws question upon its head.  Jesus said ‘don’t ask who is your neighbor but instead be a neighbor to everybody!’

As you go through this week ask God to help you to be a neighbor to all those that you are among.  God loves them!