When asked what one has to do, Jesus said that we needed to love God with all our heart, soul and mind and love our neighbors as ourselves. Is that radical? Is that out there? It is a concept that we will often quote in church and to each other, but do we really do it? Jesus was a radical for his day. He met with women by himself in public. He met with sinners, sick people and a host of others that were just wrong for Jewish males, let alone a rabbi to be in public or by themselves with. Talk the Samaritan women for instance. Jesus was not only alone with her, a big no no, but he was also alone with a Samaritan, which was an even bigger no no. You see in that world, Jewish despised Samaritans. They would take the long way around Samaria which required crossing two rivers just to get from one side of the Promised Land to the other.
Jesus also gives us the story of the Good Samaritan for our consideration. Using the same type of person that Jews despised to show an example of what it means to be a good neighbor. This example provides us with what it truly means to be friend. Giving up time, money, and convenience in order to help those in need, even if they are someone you would generally despise. So what can we take from this example of Jesus?
Everyone is our neighbor. Everyone is our neighbor and we should not discriminate. At the same time, if everyone is our neighbor that means that we have to love them as ourselves even if they engage in things that we may or may not approve of. After John 3:16-17 reminds us that God sent the Son to save us and gives us eternal life, but it is 17 that reminds us that Jesus did not come into the world to condemn it, but to save it. If that is the case, we cannot condemn the world, but try to love and save it. No condemnation means that we have to push past polarizing issues such as homosexuality, people who drink, or have sex, the poor and the downtrodden. What someone does should not matter to us as much as loving them as our neighbor.
Love happens outside of the church. Did you ever notice where Jesus does most of his ministering and healing? In the church? No. Out in the church and on the fridges of society. Where people were cast out, left to fend for themselves, and overlooked. Rarely did Jesus every ministry or heal in church. He did it out side of the church. He did speak in church and provide teaching there, but love and healing for the most part took place outside of the church. What does that mean for us? Should we not go out and do rather than stay inside and hide. That is not to diminish time together with believers and worship, after all Jesus did that with the disciples, but we need to recognize when it is time to go out and be the hands and feet and not just hang around in the sanctuary.
Being a neighbor takes resources. In the story of the Good Samaritan, we get the glimpse of what it takes to be a neighbor. One of the things is resources. We need to make sure that we are willing to offer shelter, pay for food and other incidentals without question. Why, because God told us too. Jesus gave the example for us to learn from. And we are called to go out and do on the Lord’s behalf. We have to be ready to provide resources when we can and in any way we can.
So what king of neighbor will you be? Will you be an example of the Good Samaritan or will you be an example of someone who lives in their Christian bubble and never goes out into the word. Jesus told us to go out and create disciples and baptize and obey everything Jesus commanded to us. He did not say stay…..he said go. What will you do?
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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