Good Neighbors, Conclusion

Today we will conclude our "Good Neighbors" study with a look at the parable of the Good Samaritan, which we have alluded to before, in this study.

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
²⁷ 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.”
²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
³⁰ 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. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ 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. ³⁵ 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.’
³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

This is such a familiar passage that it is very easy to skim through it, and not spend the time on it that it deserves. I'd like to point out three things about this "good neighbor."
First, the Samaritan saw someone in need and had compassion. He could easily have gone right on past, as the others did, but instead, he put his compassion into action -- showing mercy to the victim of the robbers.
Next, the Samaritan temporarily put his own desires on hold -- he was in the middle of his own journey. I'm sure someone was expecting his arrival; he delayed it. He gave freely of his time and his money to assist the wounded man.
Lastly, the Samaritan left quietly when he had helped the man. He didn't make a show, didn't expect fanfare or even a "attaboy" and a pat on the back. You see, we also need humility to be a good neighbor.  By avoiding the sin of selfishness, we can focus on others and their needs. Paul tells us in Philippians 2: 3-4:

³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 

In order to be that good neighbor that we wish to be, we must take action.  Solomon told us back in the third chapter of Proverbs, "Do not say to your neighbor, go and come back and tomorrow I will give it, when you have it with you."  When we see the needs of others, we must act on those needs.
Perhaps the need is simply opening a door for a mom with her hands full of groceries and her toddler. Maybe the need is speaking encouraging words to someone who is depressed. It might be that the need is for comfort, and some of us who quilt can recall efforts to "wrap in quilted love" a person who was hurting. That fatherless son needs someone to take him fishing -- that widow needs some extras from your meal, to help her eat a balanced diet -- the list goes on. You see, if we start close to home, we can be the good neighbor our Father wants us to be; we don't have to stress about this Google-sized world, and all of the things we wish we could help with. Sure, if God lays it on your heart to help people across the hemisphere with your time and money, then go for it! But we must not let that vision blind us to the needs around us!

Good Neighbors, Part III

"Who is my neighbor?"

That's been a question that has been asked since long before Jesus answered it with the parable of the Good Samaritan. Back then, you would have had to be fairly close by a person, in order to A.) know about his needs, and B.) be able to help in some way. But physical distance doesn't have as much to do with it, anymore.
With one click of a hyperlink on our computers, we can learn all that we need to know about an urgent need that we were unaware of before we clicked. We're told that millions of people "need us" and that millions more are ready to "partner with us" to solve the problem.  Instead of becoming easier, it has become much more complicated.
Have you ever wondered just when God expects us to take responsibility for the needs of others? What's more, have you ever wondered that, and then felt guilty -- because in the back of your head, you were wondering how little you could do, and still qualify for that rosy "I-helped-somebody" glowing feeling?
I searched for some verses, and found these to bring to you:
Deuteronomy 10:17-19
"For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.
"He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing.
"Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt."

Matthew 5:43-48
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
"For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
"And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
"Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

Anyone and everyone is our neighbor. Friends, strangers, and even enemies -- we are told to treat them all in the way that we would like to be treated in return.
It can be overwhelming, though, when we know of so many dire needs, so many people who need our help. Surely God does not wish for us to scatter our money and our time across the land, and come home empty-handed to the family who depends upon us? No, He doesn't want that.

I think that he tells us to first work in our own "backyard."  Go back and look at the Great Commission - Jesus tells the disciples to start locally, and then move outward, like the ripples from a pebble thrown into a pond. And we can use that metaphor, too.
          1. Decide to do for a few, what you would like to do for many. Don't let the thought of "all those people" that you can't help, be an obstacle to your helping the ones that you can.
          2.  Use those gifts! We've discussed how each of us has different gifts - skills and talents that we can use to serve others. Your special gifts will lead you to causes and issues that you can be passionate about.
         3.  Follow those passions to find the neighbors God wants you to help. Whether it's gathering fabric to clothe orphans in Malawi, working to assist someone with learning English, or some other wonderful idea, God can use you and your passions to find that neighbor and give them a hand.
God is at work in us and with us . . . He can use technology and our hands . . . we can help do the "even greater things" that Jesus said His followers would do!

Good Neighbors, Part II

We started thinking about this concept yesterday . . . I'd like to continue this today -- and if we need to, we'll tack on another day to finish it up! 

I think we can all remember times when we needed help, and someone was a "good Samaritan" and helped us out. Perhaps you make a habit of doing that yourself.  Before the days of a-cell-phone-in-every-pocket, I can recall being on the side of the road with a flat tire, and three kids in the car. How grateful I was for that stranger who stopped and helped me as I struggled with the tire iron and jack! He would not accept anything except my "thank you" as payment, since as he said, "we all need some help now and then." 

How important is this concept in our faith lives? How vital is this to us as Christians? Important enough that Jesus included it on at least two separate occasions in His teachings: First, as part of what we now call the "Sermon on the Mount":

Matthew 7:12
"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

Then, later in His ministry, when the Pharisees were trying to trip Him up with their questions:

Matthew 22:37-40
Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
"This is the first and great commandment.
"And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
"On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

OK, we can all agree that it truly is important. But some days I just don't FEEL like being a good neighbor to that person. How can I get motivated to do what I know I should do?

1 John 3:17
But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

Here is where the rubber meets the road, ladies (and any gents that happen to be reading today). A person must have compassion if he or she wants to be able to genuinely help others. Human beings have a natural compassion, but too often we learn to shut our eyes and hearts to the needs around us. We should seek to reverse that trend, and we should ask God to give us His love and the deeper compassion that comes through His Holy Spirit.

Now that we have a "what" and a "how" --- how about a "why" for all of this? Check out Romans 15:2 . . .

² Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.

Paul is saying that if we are good neighbors, we will be building them up --- constructing better people --- living out an example of how they should live, too. In other words, a simple act or word from us can change lives!

We still haven't addressed the question from Tuesday, of "who is my neighbor," though. Let's tackle that one tomorrow, shall we?

Proverbs 24: 28-29 Good Neighbors, Part I

²⁸ Do not testify against your neighbor without cause —
    would you use your lips to mislead?
²⁹ Do not say, “I’ll do to them as they have done to me;
    I’ll pay them back for what they did.”

What does it take to be a good neighbor? Does anyone besides me have an instant flashback to a television screen, and Mr. Rogers pulling on his sweater, while he sings? Oh, never mind. Now you really know how old I am.
This got me thinking about good neighbors, though. We've studied how we should not pay back negative things with more negative things. When they borrow a tool and bring it back broken, but offer to replace or repair it, what do we do? Snarl? Or smile?
When their kids play in the Slip-and-Slide and the water pools on our side of the fence, do we yell at the kids and send them scurrying inside? Or walk over for a friendly conversation, and while watching them play, quietly mention the lake forming on our side of the fence?
Okay, maybe those are too easy . . . what about the starving farmers in that African country that the pastor mentioned? What about the AIDS orphans in Indonesia that you read about? What about the children sorely abused right here in the United States?
Globalization, fast travel and communication, and even the ability to "google" search, has changed our perception of what our neighborhood really is.  What on earth can we do about all of these far-reaching problems?
I'd like to ask for you to study on this, and perhaps look up some verses that you feel are helpful. Let's gather again tomorrow and pool our knowledge, OK?
See you on Wednesday!