Who Is My Neighbor?

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

            Air conditioning has really hurt Christianity! In the heat of summer people would sit on their front porches. Wait the children today are asking, ‘what is a front porch?” That is just my point. People use to go for walks and talk to their neighbors along the block. But with the advent of Air Conditioning people are behind closed doors.   In the comforts of their living room or man cave families now are simply entities to themselves. Who lives down the block?   What are their needs? What’s happening in their homes?   Do they have a church? What do they believe?   Taking the question from our text, we might well ask, “And who is my neighbor?” The man who asked than was not looking for a name; rather he was an expert in the law, looking for a loophole around the second greatest commandment. Remember Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment, and he answered, Matthew 22:36–39 (NIV84) — 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Even the lawyer in our text could answer that. What he was looking for was the exception to the law. His question will set our thoughts today, “who is my neighbor?” 

            This question could be reworded, whom don’t I have to love? In your mind can you think of someone you really don’t want to love? Are you thinking of the grief someone has brought into your life? Might it include the obnoxious and rude employer, employee, the bully in the school, and the person who stole from you? What is the Christian response to the enemies of our country? See, the law of God is really tough on all people. The law of God goes beyond who is my next door neighbor. Jesus puts it this way to us, (Luke 6:27-28 NIV) "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, {28} bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (Mat 5:46-47 NIV) If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? {47} And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

            As we look at how Jesus answered this question we find he does so with a story.   The way he told the story can make clergy uncomfortable, as well as the expert in the law. Jesus unfolds a violent altercation. Let me rephrase the story this way. A man was traveling from Minneapolis to St. Paul. This innocent man is attacked, robbed and left for dead. A Wisconsin Ev. Lutheran Synod pastor sees the poor beaten man lying on the south side of University Avenue and crosses the street to walk on the north side.   Nobody has helped, next comes along a Principal of a WELS elementary school who sees the man. Just like the clergy, he too, crosses the street and walks by without stopping or even thinking of calling 911. A little bit later a Somali Muslim walks by and stops. He helps the man, goes gets his car and takes him to the hospital and before he leaves cosigns the bill so the man is treated. Now which one was the neighbor? As tough as it is to hear that story, the impact is much like that when Jesus told it.   For the Samaritans were the spiritual and social outcasts of his day. Jesus was driving home the full demands of the law of God. 

            Now there are two areas of concern also.   What is the motivation to help someone?  What is the best possible help given?  

            Our text has spurred legislation throughout our country. It is called the “Good Samaritan Laws.” The purpose of such legislation is to protect those who choose to serve and tend to others who are injured or ill. They are intended to reduce bystanders' hesitation to assist, for fear of being sued or prosecuted for unintentional injury or wrongful death. Two stories are in the paper this weekend. In Minneapolis we have the story of the man who stepped in to rescue a lady being robbed. He is being called a Good Samaritan. At the same time there was an article in the Pioneer Press about one country that does not have such laws. There was a tragic story of a two year old that walked into a road and was struck twice and nobody would help.    Why didn’t the driver stop and nobody help? Because a judge had ruled earlier, the only reason you must have wanted to help is that some how you knew you were responsible and had fined a Good Samaritan.   Now people don’t want to stop or help in that country. The question comes up, has this event awakened the moral consciousness of the county. Fear motivates one way or another. Pity can also motivate.   Some people hope to pay it forward or as others say, what goes around comes around. So they might be good, just in case in the future, they might need help.

            In our text the lawyers question, “who is my neighbor?” spoke of another motivation. But he wanted to justify himself. This expert in the law was not concerned about what others might think; rather he was concerned what would be God’s view of him? He wanted to be able to stand before the Lord God almighty and excuse his actions towards some people. He thought he had come close to keeping the commandments. It wasn’t ignorance, but he wanted to justify, that is declare himself, not guilty before the throne of the almighty. “There is this loophole Lord. I can be excused from showing love to that horrible person.” The problem is, that no one can justify themselves. Rather on the basis of the law we are all guilty. When Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan he convicts us all.   Love your enemies, pray for them that persecute you. 

            Jesus answer to the man was, “do this and you will live.”   So the other side of the story is if you fail, you die, eternally. Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan, but the man failed to see in Jesus the best Samaritan.   More than once we hear in the scriptures about people trying to justify their actions.   But by the Law no one is justified, unless you keep it perfectly.   When we look at Jesus we find one who had the perfect love for all. His love was not based on friendship. His love was not based on status in society. His love was not based on one future promises. His love was not based on promises of future works of righteousness. His love embraced all people. He passed no one by, not even this lawyer. He was reaching out to him. What this man needed was an expert in the law, and one to plead his own case.   That was Jesus, right there in front of him. (1 John 2:1-2 NIV) My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. {2} He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

            So what is the motivation for a Christian? (1 John 4:19 NIV) We love because he first loved us. (1 John 3:16 NIV) This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. The Apostle Paul would write to the Corinthians, (2 Cor 5:14 NIV) For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. (2 Cor 5:16 NIV) So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. This is not out of guilt, or shame, or hope of heaven. Rather because we ourselves have experienced the most awesome love in the world. This text can open all kinds of thought of guilt and shame over failures to care and love people. But the one telling this story is our Savior who has forgiven us and moves us to love.

            So how are we to show love to our neighbor? What about the horrible neighbor who will not deal with you except dishonestly? The best we can do is as Jesus said, “pray for them.” Our hearts of compassion can reach out to people in need.   The Lord also by example teaches tough love. Just giving people things with no accountability or responsibility can do more damage than the help intended.  I remember the person who came to my office wanting money for medicine because had gangrene in his foot. When I offered to take him to the clinic rather than just give him money, he walked out of my office.  We are to be faithful stewards of the gifts God gives us. Compassion is in place, but we are not to be taken and lose the gifts God’s given us. On our mission festival there was the focus this month on the care for those in need. Our door offering was opportunity to meet just that need.

            As we reflect what it means to love our neighbor, we may recognize needs for their body, for their mind, but God also gave them a soul. Being a Christian neighbor means we look for those opportunities to reach out for their soul sake. For what good is it if they have a roof over their heads and food in their stomach, but they still go to hell.   A gospel that only cares for the body and mind but not for the soul is not a gospel at all. When Jesus looked at people he had compassion for the whole person. He could see their hunger; he could see them as sheep without a shepherd. 

 

Our Pioneers have a prayer that is fitting:

 

JESUS HELP OUR EYES TO SEE

OUR SALVATION EARNED BY THEE

JESUS, HELP OUR EARS TO HEAR

CALLS FOR HELP FROM FAR ANDNEAR

JESUS HELP OUR FEET TO GO

IN THE WAY THAT THOU WILT SHOW

JESUS, HELP OUR HANDS TO DO

ALL THINGS LOVING, KING AND TRUE.

JESUS MAY WE HELPFUL BE

GROWING EVERY DAYLIKE THEE. Amen.