Won't you be my neighbor?

Last week I was given the opportunity to speak to the ladies class at our congregation. I am thankful each time for the opportunity, as it stretches my knowledge, faith, and comfort zone :)

It is difficult to change a verbal lesson into a blog, so hopefully this will flow okay.

A personal experience led me to the topic of speaking on what it means to be a neighbor. After this experience, this topic was really on my heart. I also attended a lecture at Harding University on "Connecting to the community" that inspired me on the importance of what it means to be a neighbor.

The main aspects of being a neighbor we focused on in the class were:

Who is my neighbor?

Why do I love my neighbor?

How do I love my neighbor?

WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR:

Luke 10:29

29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii[a] and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Our neighbors:

1. Our spouse/family

After I decided on teaching on the topic of being a neighbor I started reading this book called “What’s it like to be married to me- and other dangerous questions”. I was reading through the book and the author said something so simple but it really hit me. She said “So who is your closest neighbor? The one who shares your bed and your daily bread”.

Proverbs 14:1 “The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down”

Sometimes we can spend so much time being externally focused that it is possible to neglect the hearts of those in our home. We can spend so much time making sure that we please other people, but do we have that same attitude in our homes? Do we take the time to build up our spouse, our children, and our loved ones the way we take the time to with others? I’m great at telling people “I really appreciate you for….”. How often do I take the time to tell my husband or children what I’m thankful for about them?

1 Timothy 3:4-5

He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?

I know this passage is talking specifically about elders, but I believe that we can learn about the importance of our families as a neighbor from this passage as well.

2. Our church family

Ephesians 6:10 “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially those who are in the household of faith”

In addition to our family at home, the church is also our family. What will happen if we all spend so much time being externally focused, meanwhile neglecting the members of our church who are in need?

Ephesians 4:11-16

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[c] and teachers,[d] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[e] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

As Christians we are all uniquely created, and just as the evangelist is a gift to the church, we are a gift to each other. We are not not just here to take, but to lift up and encourage one another.

We need to make sure to take the time to build up the body of Christ, so that we are strong and unified as we go into the world.

3. The Community

Throughout the gospels, there are around 40 noted instances where Jesus is interacting with people who would be considered “Sinners” out in the community. Through these scriptures we see that Jesus didn’t just tell us who our neighbor is, but showed us who our neighbor is through the way he lived his life.

Matthew 9:9-13 “As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher each with tax collectors and sinner?” But when he heard it, he said “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not the call the righteous, but sinners.”

In John 7 we see Jesus speaking with the Samaritan woman at the well.

In Luke 19 and Jesus’ interaction with Zacchaeus.

As I read through some of the interactions that Jesus had with people, most of them occurred out in the community. Very few of his interactions with non-believers occurred within a religious setting. Jesus went to the people. If we want to make a difference in our community, and we want our community to see God and Jesus through us, we have to get to know the people in our community.

WHY DO I LOVE MY NEIGHBOR?

1. Jesus commanded it

Mark 12:28

“And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked it, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other greater commandment than these.

NO OTHER GREATER COMMANDMENT than these is pretty powerful stuff. First is to love God. And right after that is to love your neighbor. And the Bible says it 8 times to “love your neighbor as yourself” I'm pretty sure God meant it.

2. Jesus led by example

Jesus spent time in the Temple, he spend time with his disciples and alone in prayer, but he spent most of his time with people. And he took his disciples along with him for many of these interactions. Jesus not only commanded us to love our neighbors, but showed us how to love our neighbors.

Romans 15:2 says “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.”

Hebrews 13:1-2 “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unaware.”

Leviticus 19:33-34 “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”

Who has ever moved or started a new job before? Do you ever remember feeling isolated? Josh and I moved a few times in our early years of marriage. Every time you are starting over with new jobs, new neighbors, trying to make new friends. How does it feel when people take the time to make you feel welcomed and, if you're at work, like a part of the team; or at home, like a part of the neighborhood?

My feeling it that it makes you want to be where you are instead of having to be where you are.

By human nature we naturally gravitate towards those we know that we connect with. Let’s be honest, it’s easier to have conversations with people that we KNOW we have something in common with, but Jesus calls us to love those who are strangers to us just as much as those we are best friends with. And most of the time when we take the time and effort to get to know people we are so thankful we did. The best part is that we don’t have to do it alone. Jesus went with his disciples, we can go out into the world together too.

HOW DO I LOVE MY NEIGHBOR?

GO: We aren’t going to reach our neighbors if we don’t ever meet them! I am essentially a stay at home mom now. Tell me how many neighbors I am likely to meet if we spent every day, all day inside, except to go to church? It would be pretty hard to love my neighbors in the community if I never met any of my neighbors. You never know what kind of connection you might make with people until you meet them. And you never know what their needs are, physically, emotionally, or spiritually, if you don’t know them.

SERVE: Jesus often connected with people and to communities through healing. Not only was he showing God’s power in the situations, but he was meeting a need. Most people wanted to hear more of what Jesus had to say and teach after seeing a need being met.

Matthew 25:37-40 “Then the righteous will answer him, saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and cloth you? And when did we see you sick in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

LOVE: My daughter is the greatest example of me on how to love people. She makes it seem so easy. The other night we are walking through the neighborhood and she meets a girl who is a few years older than her, and one of the first things she says is “Do you want to be my friend and come play with me?” I think sometimes we make loving people seem so much harder than it has to be. Sometimes all it takes is reaching out of our comfort zone and asking a question. “Do you have a home church?” “Would you like to come to my ladies bible study with me?” or even just “Would you like to come over for a cup of coffee and visit?” Show people that we care about them.

A few weeks ago I was able to witness being a neighbor in action when they didn't know I was watching. I was at a friends house visiting in the living room, and needing to go throw something away in the kitchen. As I looked out to kitchen window to the road I saw that my friends husband and father were giving food and water to the guy on the garbage truck as he jumped off to pick up their trash. Come to find out this is a weekly occurrence. Talk about loving your neighbor.

Who in our lives can we work on being a better neighbor to - family, church family, community? And how are you going to work on being a neighbor and loving them as God loves them?