Who is my Neighbor?

When I first came to the States with my family, we were strangers in a strange land. We soon made friends with other immigrant couples and had lots of fun times together as families from foreign shores. Later I found out that the husband of one couple was an alcoholic and would go on drinking binges for up to a month. He managed to keep his job because he was a highly skilled pattern maker and much in demand. However he would often leave work and go straight to the local tavern and finally come home at 2am in the morning and crash on the sofa. His wife was going to divorce him and asked the church we were all attending to excommunicate him which they duly did.

 I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to become a thorn in his flesh. I would go round to his house at 4 am and sit beside him until he woke up and then pray for him as he struggled to go to work. I would also go to the tavern he went to and sit and talk with him. To avoid me he started going to a motel to sleep.

One night he called from the motel and said he was ready to quit drinking and could I come and get him and take him home. That was the turning point in his life, and he never drank again,

Over the next three months I worked with him and with AA to help him on the road to sobriety.

Meanwhile our church forbade me to have any further contact with him and his family, until he came and apologized to the church for his drunken behavior. If I didn’t cut off contact, the church would remove me from my leadership roles. When I told my now very sober friend about the church’s demands, he was very angry but asked what he should do to make things right.

He arrived at the church service the next Sunday, marched up to pulpit, interrupting the message and apologized for his drunkenness with its effects upon his family. He was duly restored to fellowship in that church and many people said to me it was my compassion and tenacity to see him restored that brought him back.

 This could be your neighbor.

Jesus addressed this issue when approached by a religious leader about inheriting eternal life. Let’s listen in on their dialogue as recorded by Luke in chapter 10, verses 25-37

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?”

So here comes the wise man, an expert in religious law, no less.

Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

Jesus getting the expert to answer his own question…

The religious expert 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?”

Have you ever asked yourself the same question? Is it the guy next door? Never spoken to him. Not my type. My neighbors are weird. They vote for the other party. I don’t have time to be neighborly. He has a different skin color.

As I read this very familiar parable again, I am struck by the number of events I have experienced since moving to the USA that have paralleled this story. Unfortunately, the Christian church has been represented in a negative role in many of these events. And I have been challenged myself to continue to support “my neighbor” in certain circumstances. Fortunately, Holy Spirit guidance has prevailed.

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.

Note that he is a Jewish man. An exclusive club with stringent membership rules that prevail even today.

“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.

Note that these are both Jewish men, and what’s more men of standing in Jewish society. What do you think they were thinking as they observed the plight of their fellow countryman, and why they couldn’t help him? They certainly were not even calling for someone else to assist the injured man.

Write down what you think their thoughts/ excuses were.

How many of these thoughts are part of today’s society norms?

 “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.’

So here is a man, that even the injured man might have nothing to do with normally, rendering beyond neighborly assistance.

He felt compassion for the injured man despite the fact he was a part of the wrong denomination or religion. Obviously, a busy man, but he took time out of his busy schedule to ensure the injured man was well taken care of with follow up if needed.

“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.

 The religious expert replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”

And a whole lot more!

Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

Now go and do the same

We have all read this parable dozens of times, but have we really allowed the Holy Spirit to open our eyes in the way Jesus talks about and demonstrated the love of God to our neighbor? Great will be your joy if you do.

Also don’t see it as a brief encounter. God has been working with you for the long haul with a desire for regular check ins. Your neighbor may need and appreciate this as well.