Love Your Neighbor
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How many of you guys love rules? Let me guess anytime you go to a camp your favorite assembly is the one where we go over the rules with you.
Or every semester at school your favorite class is the first one where your teacher goes over the syllabus and list all the things that are required of you. Do this and don’t do that.
Ever since you were old enough to listen and comprehend you have been following rules. But not just us, everyone since the beginning of time has been following rules. Adam and Eve were given one rule, don’t eat of the fruit in the midst of the Garden. Man, kind has never lived in a time where there were not rules.
Because of this, I believe any people have gotten the wrong idea about what truly matters in this life.
God, the creator of us all never intended for us to live our lives thinking that life was all about following all the rules. But unfortunately, that is how many people view their very existence.
Many people view God as the authoritative rule maker and our very existence is to simply do what he says. They view the Bible as simply a book of rules. A book of dos and don’ts. Unfortunately, many people in the Lord’s church view the Bible this way
Many people believe that they live their lives for the sole purpose of following all the rules and making sure that others keep all the rules.
In fact, this idea is nothing new because it is exactly what the religious leaders of Jesus day believed that their job was. They believed that it was their job to make sure that everyone followed all the rules. They went through their Bible and new that there were about 613 rules and then they divided them up between the most important rules and the least important rules.
Many of the religious leaders of Jesus day and unfortunately many so-called religious people today believe that it is their job to make it seem as though it is almost impossible to follow God because of all the rules.
It is this mindset that Jesus constantly had to fight against when it came to trying to teach people what truly matters in this life.
Jesus throughout scripture makes it clear that it is not as hard to follow him as many make it out to be. In Matthew chapter 22:34-40 the passage that Wade talked to us about the rule enforcers of Jesus day ask him what the most important commandment was and Jesus as we have already learned said this;
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
As I read Jesus response to their question it seems to me that Jesus is trying to get across to them not only here but elsewhere in scripture that they are making it to difficult for people to follow him.
Thus, Jesus in his answer to the rule enforcers simplifies all of the commandments of God into one word. He says there is one word that brings together the entire Bible. What word is that? LOVE!
As followers of Jesus, you need to understand that there is nothing in the world more important than love. Let me say that again. As followers of Jesus, you need to understand that there is nothing in the world more important than love.
But not just love for anything or anyone. But, Love for God and your neighbor.
Jesus is his response in Matt 22 makes it clear that both of these commandments hold equal weight. Loving your neighbor is just as important as loving God.
John in his writings makes this abundantly clear.
In 1 John 4:20
If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
John says if you claim to love God but hate your brother or neighbor than you are nothing more than a liar.
In other words you are not fulling anyone, and you are especially not fulling God.
Guys loving your neighbor just like loving God is of utmost importance.
Turn with me in your Bibles to Romans 13.
Remember that we have already seen that Jesus has simplified the law by that love is what binds it all together.
Now listen to what the apostle Paul has to say about love in Romans 13 starting in verse 8. Romans 13:8-10
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Somebody tell me, According to Paul how important is it to Love your neighbor?
Ya, Paul says if you want to fulfill the law of God than love your neighbor. In other words if you want to receive eternal life than you better be loving your neighbor.
Paul explains to us here how it is possible that one word can fulfill the Law of God. He says when we truly love our neighbor than we will automatically do what the other commandments of the law require.
Because someone who truly loves their neighbor will not murder, or commit adultery or steal or covet. And by loving your neighbor you are demonstrating that you love the Lord your God with all your heart.
OK, so thus far we have seen that if we truly Love God and want to fulfill the law of God than we must love our neighbor.
So logically a question that we need to be able to answer is, who is my neighbor? What say you?
Lets turn to Luke 10:25-37. In Luke 10 another person comes to Jesus to try and trick him by asking him what he needed to do in order to receive eternal life.
I love Jesus response becasue in essence what he says is, why are you asking me, your the one who know the law, you tell me.
I’m sure this threw this lawyer off his game for a minute but he was able to answer correctly and anybody what to take a guess what the correct answer was. Ya, Love. Love God and love your neighbor.
Realizing that he wasn’t able to stump Jesus he then poses the question; who is my neighbor. Let’s listen in to Jesus response starting in verse 30.
Luke 10:25–37 (ESV)
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. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 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. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
OK, according to Jesus who is one’s neighbor? The man who treats people like the Samaritan.
You see one of the reasons why Jesus seems to be telling this story that most of us here are probably very familiar with is becasue the one asking this question; who is my neighbor is trying to make a point that not everyone should be considered his neighbor.
There are ancient Jewish writings that taught the people that they should not be neighborly to sinners especially a sinner like a Samaritan.
This lawyer is wanting Jesus to agree with this teaching that some people are worthy of being their neighbor and others are not.
Let me ask you guys do we and or people today have this same attitude about who should be considered are neighbor and who should not be?
Have you ever been like me and thought that person is not worthy to be my neighbor. He does not deserve my help or more specifically my love.
Are there people in your school or maybe in your youth group who you think they don’t deserve my love. They don’t deserve for me to be nice to them. That bully that won’t leave you alone or that person who is just so obnoxious and annoying they don’t need my love.
When we have that attitude we are just like the lawyer in this story.
Obviously Jesus makes it clear that we cannot pick and choose our neighbors.
But more specifically I love Jesus response to the the lawyers question. Now remember the lawyer asked Jesus, who IS my neighbor.
Now listen to how Jesus responds to this question verse 36. Luke 10:36-37
Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
Do you see the difference? Rather than Jesus telling this man who his neighbor should be, Jesus says don’t worry about who you neighbor is but rather let the neighbor be you.
Rather than worrying if someone else is a neighbor, Jesus’ call is to be a neighbor to those who have need. By reversing the perspective Jesus changes both the question and the answer.
No only should you not try to determine who is worthy to be your neighbor but now you need to care more about giving and helping others than being on the receiving end of things.
OK so so far we have looked at the command given by Jesus to Love not only God but our neighbor and if we do this than we have fulfilled the law of Christ.
Meaning if we love God and our neighbor than we are going to be people who desire to do what Jesus was us to do so we can receive eternal life. Luke 10
And by looking at the story of the Good Samaritan we have seen that everybody no matter the circumstances are worthy to me are neighbor or are worthy enough for us to be a neighbor to them.
Now the final thing we need to consider is; How do we love our neighbor. What does that look like in today's world.
In order to answer this question I think its important that we understand what Jesus means by love in these passages that we have read.
When we hear Jesus tell his disciples, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (22:39), what do we think he means by that? Do we think he means, have a warm and sentimental feeling in your heart?
You see it doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that this is not the kind of love the Jesus is talking about.
If so, how could we possibly feel that way about people we don’t know? Even harder, how could we feel that way about people who have intentionally done us harm?
If someone hates you and is trying to kill you, it would be unreasonable for Jesus to tell you to feel affectionate toward that person. But in spite of how you feel about that person, Jesus does expect you to love them.
What we need to understand is that love is not a feeling but rather love is action. Turn with me to 1 John 3:16-18
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
What we learn from this passage is that our love for others is determined not by our words or feelings, but by our “deeds.”
Our love for our neighbor is determined by our selfless acts of meeting the needs of others.
We measure love by looking to Jesus; because he laid down his life for us, “we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” And if we are willing to die for each other, we are also willing to give anything we have for each other.
Loving people means doing good to them. It means using whatever we have to meet their needs. If they are hungry, we feed them. If they are thirsty, we give them something to drink. If they are lonely, we visit them.
Let’s all ask ourselves are we actively not emotionally but actively loving our neighbors. That is the kind of people God calls us to be.
Conclusion:
As we finish up here this morning let’s reread our main text, Matt 22:36-40
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
What I hope you remember from this lesson is that as followers of Jesus, there is nothing in the world more important than love. Love for God, and each other.
We all need to understand that love is God’s overarching will for each of us.
As a youth minister I regularly hear or have conversations with people about what God’s will is for them in their lives.
For example many of you have been thinking about or have been asked the question countless times; What am I going to do with my life. what am I going to do when I grow up.
For those that know that they want God to be at the center of their life may ask the question this way. What is God’s will for me in my life.
People your age want to know what job they should pursue and where should they live. All of these are important questions.
But let me suggest that a more important question to be asking, than am I doing what God wants me to do with my life is asking, am I loving the way God want s me to love.
If we truly do love God with all of our heart and soul and mind, and we love our neighbor than we will not want to do anything in our lives that is contrary to God’s will for us.
God can use us anywhere, at anytime in any profession to do his will. Especially his will to Love God and love our neighbor.
Let’s be people who focus more on love than anything else in this world.