Like a Good Neighbor

Build Connection

When Jeanette and I were looking to buy our first house, we found one we really liked, but the agent told us it wasn’t in a very good neighborhood. You can tell a lot about a neighborhood just by looking at the houses in that neighborhood.

I love our house and where it is at, a couple blocks from the church, one thing I don’t remember talking about when we bought our house was how long our neighbors were going to be living there, and even who our neighbors were!

Create Tension

I believe having good neighbors makes life just that more pleasurable, but there is something even more important for a better life…that is what I want to talk to you today!

Provide Solution

We have been in a series entitled, “Once Upon A Time” where we are looking at some of the parables of Jesus.

Today we are looking at being a good Neighbor.

Luke 10:25–37

“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?” 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.””

The religious experts were often trying to trap Jesus, they didn’t like that he had so many followers because that meant they were not listening to them, besides the fact they were often on the negative end of his stories.

But this expert asked a very important question. A question that is still asked today. “What should I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus’ answer is very interesting, he asks two questions; “what does the law of Moses say” and “how do you understand it?”

You could say Jesus is asking what does the law say and what does it mean? In response, the expert repeats what the law says avoids it’s meaning.

Jesus says his recalling of the law of Moses is correct, and if he would do that, he will live.

The expert wanted to justify his life so he asks a simple question, believing he already knew the answer.

Jesus believed the experts understanding about the law was incomplete so he told him a parable to help him understand how to love your neighbor.

You don’t have to go to church to know the story of the good Samaritan.

There are three types of people in the story and I would suppose that we have all been in each of these situations before! Let’s look at them.

The first type of person we come across is “The Victim.”

In the parable we read about a Jew traveling a dangerous road and he comes upon some shady characters who rob and beat him leaving him almost dead.

We have all been a victim at some point in our lives. We have all had bad things happen to us at the hands of others.

Maybe you had something stolen from you.

Maybe you were physically assaulted.

Maybe you had rumors spread about you.

I’m sure we could all come up with some way we have been a victim.

While we may have been a victim, we don’t have to live as a victim.

Part of the problem in our society today is that there is an idea going around that we are all victims.

Overcome the victim mentality…

Realize you don’t deserve what you have!

Don’t compare yourself to others!

Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

The second type of person we see in this story is “The Indifferent.”

In the story we see this type of person portrayed in two people. The priest and the Levite.

Both of these people should have helped the victim, but they didn’t. In fact, it would have been expected of these people to help someone in need.

Unfortunately we have all been this type of person in our lives also, and I would gather to say we have been this person far more than we have been the victim.

Any time you see someone in need and choose not to help them you become this type of person.

Indifference is the opposite of what Jesus is talking about, it is not being neutral, it’s being unloving!

When the expert quotes what the law of Moses say, love God and Love your neighbor, they type of love is exactly the same!

James 4:17 “17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.”

The third type of person we see in this story is “The Compassionate.”

In the story Jesus paints a picture of a hero who saves the day, But it is not the person you expected it to be.

The Samaritans were not just outsiders to the Jewish people, they were enemies.

We all want to be compassionate, but are we willing to put ourselves out to do good?

Matthew 25:45 ““And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’”

The question Jesus asks the lawyer is not the same question the lawyer asked Jesus in v. 29. For the lawyer, “neighbor” is a noun. “Neighbor” is an object to whom one owes duties—burdensome duties that the lawyer desires to avoid (v. 29). For Jesus, “neighbor” is a verb, a way of behaving toward people in need that gives life to both giver and receiver. The Greek word gegonenai is crucial to Jesus’ question in v. 36: “Who of the three became a neighbor [or showed neighborliness] …?” For Jesus, one does not have a neighbor; one is a neighbor, or better, becomes a neighbor. The parable does not require hearers to convert enemies into friends, to do everything for everyone, to solve the problems of the world. To be a neighbor is not a condition one inherits, in other words, but a choice one makes to render the tangible assistance one is able to render to those in need of it, and to render it irrespective of ethnic, religious, cultic, or racial differences.

Edwards, James R. 2015. The Gospel according to Luke. Edited by D. A. Carson. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.

The most important idea Jesus is trying to get across is about how we treat others.

Encourage Change

Charlie Kirk was assassinated this past Wednesday and it has fueled a lot of reaction from both those who agree with him and those who don’t.

Some of those who disagree with his ideas and beliefs celebrated his death and that is tragic.

But what is almost as tragic are Christians who respond negatively to those who celebrated his death.

I saw many posts going around that said something to the effect that “if you are joyful that Charlie Kirk is dead you can unfriend me now.”