Won't You Be My Neighbour

One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” The man answered, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

A lawyer challenges Jesus about how one inherits ‘eternal life’

The belief was that God would raise the righteous to everlasting life at the end of history

Jesus asks the man to answer - probing to see if his theology & actions are consistent

The man responds with something Jesus could have said (and did elsewhere)

“Do this and live” - it’s not enough to have right beliefs, it requires action

The man seeks to justify himself. He knows he only obeys this if neighbour is defined a certain way

“Yes, I’m supposed to love my neighbour. But surely you don’t mean sinners, Samaritans, or Gentiles!?”

DOES LOVE EXCLUDE OR INCLUDE?

Jesus doesn’t directly answer the man’s question b/c he rejects the assumption behind it

Asking who is my neighbour, also implies the question, “who is not” we seek to limit our responsibility

He’s asking for a job description so he can turn down everything that doesn’t fall within its scope

So Jesus uses this story to make a point

A priest (really holy), a levite (holy) and a Samaritan (unclean) are confronted by a man’s need

They face the real possibility that the man might be dead or die while they help him

So they are confronted with a dilemma: Religious purity or loving kindness - which is more important

Torah commands priests to stay away from dead bodies unless they are immediate family (Lv.21)

Levite would be unclean for 7 days and unable to work

Samaritan Pentateuch (their bible) also says 7 days of uncleanness for touching body

Furthermore: The Samaritan would naturally see the Jew as ‘other’ not a neighbour

There is theological & historical bad blood between Jews & Samaritans - They hate each other

The Samaritan forgets the Jew’s ‘otherness’ & possible uncleanness & treats the Jew like a neighbour

He doesn’t ask “is this a person, I’m responsible to love” he asks, “Does this person need my help?”

He encounters a man in need who is not his neighbour,

So he extends mercy to this man, drawing him into neighborly relations

When Love encounters someone who is not a neighbour, it doesn’t seek to avoid responsibility, it seeks to make the other a neighbour

LOVE SEEKS TO MAKE THE OTHER INTO A NEIGHBOUR

Love doesn’t seek to exclude, it seeks to include everyone possible

Jesus didn’t die for Jews alone, or for the righteous. Jesus died for sinners. Other-seeking love in action

The lawyer’s question shows a ‘not in my job description’ assumption

The question ought not to be ‘How little can I do?’ but ‘How can I make the other into a neighbour?’

This is intensely practical

Recently Goldland’s Billards vandalized w/racist graffiti - a statement saying “You’re not our neighbour”

But Jesus asks, “How can I extend God’s hospitality, making you a neighbour?”

What are the ways we can make ‘others’ (racial minorities, mental health struggles, etc) into neighbours

Join and participate in KLMG, Drop in to Praise Cafe, talk to people when it doesn’t come naturally

Just as Jesus sought us while strangers, so we should seek out strangers inviting them to be neighbours

GETTING OUR HANDS DIRTY

Jesus also calls into question the value of religious ritual when it doesn’t respond to human need

Priest & Levite do what they their religious rituals require

In Jesus’ view, religion is supposed to make people better,

when observing the law makes people less responsive to real need, the rules must take a back seat

Are there ways we practice religion that make us willing to sacrifice people to serve the rules?

Story about pastor whose neighbour had poker games - he decided to attend and got to share God

But his squeamishness about ‘unchristian activities’ could lead him away

I don’t recommend gambling generally, but if playing a $20 game of poker meets someone’s need, then that might be excusable.

For Jesus all ethics come down to ‘loving our neighbour as we love ourself.

Holiness isn’t about keeping away from sinners, but about being set apart for God’s work

Our God eats with sinners & tax collectors, so we should imitate him

Of course, we must exercise wisdom & discernment

But Jesus says God desires mercy not sacrifice [religious rule keeping for its own sake]

CONCLUSION

It’s easy to be armchair theologians, antiseptically analyzing sin, but Jesus-shaped love is messy business

Jesus’ love doesn’t seek to place ‘reasonable’ boundaries on who it applies to

Jesus loves us even when its unreasonable

If we place such boundaries, we will only love the people who love us, and our lives won’t show evidence of Jesus’ work

Jesus’ love embraces the messiness of real life, not hiding behind religion as an out

Proper religion always calls us deeper into love, not away from it

When we are confronted w/real needs around us do we ask who is my neighbour (must I respond?)

Instead we should ask, how can I make this person my neighbour?