The Maybe, Maybe-Not Neighbor

Luke 10:25–37 NIV

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

INTRODUCTION

I want to take a brief moment to review what we are doing and where we left off last week.

This is technically the second message in a series that has us reviewing our Mission and Vision Statements, summarized well by the three “L” words you see in the front of your bulletin:

Love, Light, Living Water. (P)

Two weeks ago, we talked about the foundation of this whole thing, which is the deep love of the Father God, a love for us that drives everything we do as Christians.

Last week was the official start of this series when we began looking at our role in the love department, expressed in our Mission Statement, as first loving God, and then loving others.

I want to show you the love part of the Mission Statement again. We will see all of both statements again in the coming weeks, but today I just want us to focus on this one part. {CLICK}

MISSION STATEMENT: We are here to glorify and love first through our worship that enables us to live out Christ’s commands in our behavior, acts of service, and Christ-like redeeming relationships towards others, thus fulfilling the Great Commission. (P)

That first part, worshipping and following the commands of Christ, makes up the command to love God - with everything we have. Remember, we talked about that last week as the first of Jesus' two great commandments, and the first four of the 10 Commandments in Deuteronomy 5. We talked about what it looks like to truly love God. (P)

When we figure that part out, Jesus gives us the second of the Great Commandments in: {CLICK}

Matthew 22:39–40 NIV

The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ {CLICK} All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

And we see that play out in the last six of the Ten Commandments, loving other people means:

Honoring our parents

Not murdering (or hating, as Jesus would say)

Not committing adultery (or even lusting)

Not stealing

Not bearing false witness, or lying, or spreading rumors about your neighbor (keyword for today, by the way)

And not coveting or being jealous of any of our neighbors’ possessions (P)

So as you can see, it’s not just about following a bunch of random, arbitrary rules; it’s about being a decent human being who loves and respects God and others, and we want the things we say and do in life to be consistent with that. (P)

So with that in mind, we turn to today’s topic of loving other people. (P)

We talked about the deep love God has for us and what all that love entailed.

Now, how do we use that love to the best of our ability to give that back to Him? That’s what we talked about last week.

But harder still, how do we love other people - including and especially those who are really hard to love? And it’s not hard to come up with our own examples of such people, but any amount of time spent watching the news lately gives us plenty of other examples. (P)

That’s the mystery we hope to find some solutions to today.

And to do that, I’m going to start with a seemingly random question, but you will see where we are going. (P)

When you decided that it was time to clean your basement or your attic...or your shed, and you knew that it might take you to the corners of that space that you haven’t uncovered for years, how did you feel about having to do that?

Did it give you the heebie jeebies, knowing what you might find...in those boxes, under that old furniture, or tucked away in those dark, unvisited corners? (P)

I remember spots in our basement in the house I grew up in that were like that. Mice were only seen occasionally because my parents were very good at keeping the house clean, but when those critters did show up, we knew they would be in those dark corners stacked with boxes that we hadn’t opened in years, and that would probably not be the only thing we would find in those dark hideaways. (P)

The law, particularly Biblical law, forces us to deal with that very thing on a spiritual level.

Charles Spurgeon helps us think about that:

The law can do nothing for us except condemn us. The utmost it can do is to whip us out of our boasted self-righteousness and drive us to Christ. It puts a burden on our backs and makes us ask Christ to take it off. It is like a lancet; it probes the wound.

It is, to use a parable, like when some dark cellar has not been opened for years and is full of all kinds of loathsome creatures. We may walk through it not knowing they are there. But the law comes, takes the shutters down, lets light in, and then we discover what a vile heart we have, and how unholy our lives have been.

And then, instead of boasting, we are made to fall on our faces and cry, “Lord, save or I perish. Oh, save me for your mercy’s sake, or else I will be cast away.” (P)

So why am I getting you to think about those creepy, dark corners of your basements, and more importantly, your hearts?

The answer is, Jesus needs to expose those places before we can ever be ready to do this heavy work of carrying out our Vision and Mission, just like He needed to do for the lawyer when he approached Jesus in today’s text.

If you look at these verses in Luke 10, what started as a simple-seeming and popular question people would ask Jesus, took this lawyer down a rabbit hole he wasn’t expecting, but it was one he had to be taken down. (P)

What must I do to inherit eternal life? That was his question to Jesus in verse 25.

The problem was, this wasn’t for truly wanting to know or understand what the scriptures said. He was an expert of the law - he knew them as well as anyone. In fact, we will see this in the rest of this exchange, as he could answer every one of Jesus’ questions correctly. (P)

What he was really trying to do, like the others in the elite class he was in, of the scribes and Pharisees, was to challenge, even trap, Jesus, as would become common the farther into his ministry Jesus went. (P)

Still, Jesus always did well handling these situations, as He does here. And one of the best tactics Jesus often used was to answer the question with another question that would activate the person’s expertise.

For example, this gentleman was an expert in the law, so Jesus’ question in verse 26 made him address that.

You’re asking me how to receive eternal life? You know the law, Jesus said in verse 26. Tell me your understanding of what the law has to say on the matter. (P)

And it’s interesting that this lawyer, of course, answering correctly, goes directly to the two greatest commandments, which we have been using here to help us understand this notion of love. (P)

He knew the 10 Commandments of Exodus 5. He knew Moses’ elaboration of the love of God in the next chapter that we explored last week. He knew the direct command in: {CLICK}

Leviticus 19:18 NIV

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.

Either he was trying to impress Jesus, or his brain knew what Jesus was trying to get everyone’s heart to understand as the most important thing one could ever do in life - love God first and foremost, but only slightly under that, to love others, particularly, our neighbors. (P)

It’s in verse 29 that we see his smugness kick in. Well, who is my neighbor? (P)

Again, not innocent curiosity here - he’s in full challenge, trying-to-trip-up Jesus mode.

I’m a lawyer. As you just saw, I know the law. I know what’s right. I know what I’m doing with this thing called life. And if all I have to do is love my neighbor - you know, that guy next door - I’m in good shape. So you tell me who my neighbor is. (P)

The Bible says in verse 29 that he wanted to justify himself. That is, he was being arrogant and insisting that he knew the law, he knew how to follow it, and he was doing everything he thought he should. (P)

Jesus quickly realized that it was time to turn on the lights in the basement. It was time to expose a few of those critters that were left untouched in the lawyer’s self-righteous attitude.

He had the letter of the law down pat. But the spirit behind the law fell painstakingly short, and it was time for the man to realize that he didn’t love half as much as he should, and Jesus was about to approach it with the same challenge he gives to each of us today. (P)

If we are going to live this life of Christianity, if we are going to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, then we need to love like He does. (P)

That already makes us uneasy, knowing what Jesus did, and why, and the inclusiveness of His love. How can we ever do that? (P)

So Jesus gives three steps here to help us, the first of which addresses the question the lawyer asked: {CLICK}

1. WE MUST IDENTIFY OUR NEIGHBOR.

If you’re going to love your neighbor, you need to know who that is. (P)

Now, the first thing that always comes to mind when we hear that word is the person living next door. And with many of us living in the suburbs or townships of York County, we may think of entire neighborhoods that we live in. So our geographical neighbors could encompass a large clump of houses and residents in our proximity.

But for most of you, you have been around long enough and have been in plenty of discussions that remind you that your neighbors include much more than those in geographical clumps, but they involve anyone with whom we have an encounter. This isn’t new information by now.

But why is it so important to identify who our neighbor is, especially in the context Jesus is about to describe? Why can’t we just say, love everyone? (P)

The answer is, this concept of neighbor makes it personal. Sure, in a general manner of speaking, our neighbors are everyone, and we are to love everyone. But a neighbor is a personal relationship. My neighbors are not the same as your neighbors. The people I know, interact with, and deal with are different than yours.

So your job in all of this is to figure out who your neighbor is. (P)

Now I am going to see if I can get you to multitask a bit, because while I share a quick story that I want you to listen to, I also want you to write down the first three names you think of when I ask you to tell me who your neighbor is.

Work on that while I tell you about Ms. Catherine Booth:

Catherine Booth was the "mother" of the Salvation Army. "Wherever Catherine Booth went," said Campbell Morgan, "humanity went to hear her. Princes and peeresses merged with paupers and prostitutes."

One night, Morgan shared in a meeting with Mrs. Booth, and a great crowd of "publicans and sinners" was there. Her message brought many to Christ. After the meeting, Morgan and Mrs. Booth went to be entertained at a fine home, and the lady of the manor said, "My dear Mrs. Booth, that meeting was dreadful."

"What do you mean, dearie?" asked Mrs. Booth.

"Oh, when you were speaking, I was looking at those people opposite me. Their faces were so terrible, many of them. I don't think I shall sleep tonight!"

"Why, dearie, don't you know them?" Mrs. Booth asked, and the hostess replied, "Certainly not!"

"Well, that is interesting," Mrs. Booth said. "I did not bring them with me from London; they are your neighbors!" (P)

Now it starts to get real, and the implication becomes more obvious, as it does in: {CLICK}

Proverbs 14:21 NIV

It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.

People who look different. People who think different. People who are needy. People who make our lives difficult. People who cause us grief and pain. Are they your neighbors? (P)

Herein lies the reason we identify our neighbor. For most of you, I don’t have to tell you to love your family, your friends, most of your co-workers with whom you converse, share a workspace, and hopefully not cause too much distress. Maybe your actual next-door neighbor is pretty cool, too.

But Jesus opens up an ugly, smelly, painful can of worms - He shines the light and exposes the darkest and most creature-infested part of our basements when he talks about our neighbors. Who are the ones you secretly hate, despise, and wish for dead? (P)

As we get to verse 30 of today’s text, Jesus tells a story, not only to drive the point home on who our neighbor is, but also to give us the second step of how to treat them: {CLICK}

2. WE MUST FIND COMPASSION FOR OUR NEIGHBOR.

Again, that’s not so difficult when we think of family and friends. It’s not so hard for the people we find easy to love.

Sometimes we need only to take a half step outside our comfort zones...to people we find a little harder, but not impossible, to love. (P)

Jesus loves everyone, He absolutely does, but we think of some of the folks in the crowds He showed compassion to. The hungry, yes. The poor, yes. The sick, sometimes with very contagious diseases, and diseases that caused people to be looked down upon, like leprosy.

Sometimes he had to deal with the drunk, and sometimes he had to cast out demons. Not always easy, but it was compassion that drove him. (P)

Sometimes even the people we love cause us heartache and pain, as the Prodigal Son did for his father when he saw his dad as an inheritance provider instead of a father.

Dad, I’m sick of being here with you. Give me the money you were going to give me when you died. I’m out of here. (P)

I don’t think you understand the pain of that unless you have gone through something like that with your children. And today, I know people who are estranged from their parents for far less.

Yet, it was compassion and love that drove Dad to welcome home a wayward son in: {CLICK}

Luke 15:20 NIV

So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him, and kissed him.

(P) But what Jesus talks about with the Good Samaritan is the meat and potatoes of this whole idea behind love. Jews and Samaritans had absolutely no respect for each other; it could be said that many of them loathed each other.

I could spend a lot of time emphasizing that dislike for each other, but I think you get my drift. It was an ugly relationship between the two groups of people. (P)

Things were already not looking good when this Jewish man was attacked by robbers and left for dead on the side of the road, and even his own people - fellow Jews - were not stopping to help him. Not even the priests or the Levites - the main temple workers who should have known better!

But now it was up to a Samaritan...among his worst of enemies. Would this Samaritan stop and help a dying Jew? I mean, isn’t that what he would have wanted for his enemy, for him to die?

That sounds harsh, sure, but that’s the nature of how they related to one another. (P)

There were no accolades to be won here if he stopped, no awards or trophies. Not even the hurt man’s own people cared about him; why would anyone be impressed if the Samaritan stopped? (P)

There was one motive left. Only one thing would have made the Samaritan stop: compassion.

And in verse 33, that’s exactly what Jesus said the Samaritan had for him. It wasn’t just a stop to give some kind words, or a simple prayer. He took the Jew to an inn and paid for everything he would need to be restored to health. (P)

After that parable, there was one thing left for Jesus to ask: {CLICK}

Luke 10:36–37 NIV

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” {CLICK} The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

That’s what it looks like to have true compassion and true love.

And the reason Jesus focuses only on our difficult neighbors is not because that’s the only one we have to love, but if we can do it for one in that category, we find it awfully easy to love the others who would be much less difficult. (P)

When Jesus finished telling this parable, he turned back to this self-righteous, know-it-all lawyer and asked him his own question.

For the injured man in the road, who was his neighbor? (P)

And I can see the defeated look now on the lawyer as he has to answer - with a lot of thinking left to do - the Samaritan...my worst enemy. (P)

The lights were on and the dirt exposed - and now it was up to this law expert to see if he could become an expert in compassion and love. Would he heed Jesus’ command in verse 37 to go and do likewise? (P)

Unfortunately, we don’t know the answer to that question. But we now know who his neighbor was. It was looking as if his maybe-not neighbors were definitely so, and he now had to decide if he would heed Jesus’ words. (P)

Well, that would become his affair, and now you must deal with yours. And that starts by looking at that list of three neighbors that you wrote down, and seeing if perhaps there is someone you intentionally did not add to your list. Are you now inclined to perhaps write a number 4 and add a name there? (P)

Some of you are maybe being honest and saying, No, I’m not ready to do that. And that is understandable.

As we think of the recent terrors of Iryna Zarutska, Charlie Kirk, and these three officers shot and killed in our own neck of the woods, and we consider their killers, it’s quite possible that none of us are ready to move them to our list of neighbors. (P)

I don’t know that I am either. But whether it’s them, or someone else in our lives that we are having a very hard time with, we unfortunately cannot keep them off that list. The time will come when we will have to wrestle with God in tears and ask Him for the strength to love those people, to pray for those people, and if the opportunity ever presents itself, to serve those people.

For these are the opportunities that allow us to perform the third step: {CLICK}

3. WE MUST INTRODUCE THEM TO THEIR NEIGHBOR.

All we need to do is remember how Jesus handled His maybe-not neighbors - those who Jesus loved, but it probably took everything He had to do so sometimes, especially as he hung on the cross and gazed upon His murderers, and called for the love and grace of God to fall even upon them. (P)

I love the story that is told of Dirk Willems, a long time ago.

Late in the winter of 1569, Dirk Willems found himself running from the Dutch authorities. Although no one today would see his beliefs about baptism as radical or threatening, leaders at the time regarded them as heretical and illegal. (And we understand that, because that’s basically the story of our founder, Alexander Mack.) But for Willems, the story ends much differently.

Fleeing for his life, Willems came to a pond covered with thin ice. After safely making his way across, he discovered that his pursuer hadn’t been so fortunate. Responding to the officer’s cry for help, Willems ran back, pulled him out of the frigid water, and dragged him to shore. The guard then seized Willems and took him to prison. Soon afterwards, authorities burned Willems at the stake.

The writer goes on to say:

Willems took seriously the teaching of Jesus to “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” His action of saving his pursuer certainly defied what we might call logical reasoning. (P)

This is certainly not a natural, easy, or enjoyable kind of love. But then, if we are following the command and model of Christ, we think of a man who did just that - had compassion and love for every one of us, all the way to pain, agony, and even death, the benefits of which are available to all who might call upon Him, their neighbor, even the vilest offender.

He was the ultimate victim of mocking and hate, and Paul reminds us in Romans 5:8 that: {CLICK}

Romans 5:8 NIV

God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

SAYING: {CLICK}

Luke 23:34 NIV

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

(P) We aren’t likely to experience the degree of persecution Willems, or especially Christ, had to face in the pursuit of love. But think of the frustrations and heartaches you experience, and the people who create those for you. What is one way you can demonstrate Christ-like love? (P)

CONCLUSION

I think the answer is rooted in how we view love, and how we view those we are called to love.

Paul describes the connection in: {CLICK}

Galatians 5:14 NIV

For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus gives us the golden rule: {CLICK}

Luke 6:31 NIV

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

How do you want to be treated?

How do you want to be loved?

How do you want to be forgiven for the harm you have caused others?

How much do you want people to care about where you are headed in life, especially after life? (P)

Compassion is the ability to love someone, regardless of who they are or what they have done, just like Jesus loved you, regardless of who you are or what you have done, to the extent that you are willing to do whatever it takes to help them find a life-saving faith in Jesus. It means you care that much about their eternity, just as much as you care about yours.

That’s what it means to love your neighbor as yourself. You genuinely care what their future holds. (P)

Wendell Berry helps us to close with this thought:

People who live at the lower ends of watersheds cannot be isolationists — or not for long. Pretty soon, they will notice that water flows, and that will set them to thinking about the people upstream who either do or do not send down their silt and pollutants, and garbage.

Thinking about the people upstream ought to cause further thinking about the people downstream. Such pondering on the facts of gravity and the fluidity of water shows us that the golden rule speaks to a condition of absolute interdependency and obligation.

People who live on rivers — or, in fact, anywhere in a watershed — might rephrase the rule in this way: Do unto those downstream as you would have those upstream do unto you. (P)

We’re going to talk in detail about what it means to be living water in the coming weeks, but as you might imagine, it has everything to do with passing along the love of Christ.

Before you can do that the way God intended, you have to figure out who your neighbor is, and realize that no one isn’t, and you need to start being mindful of what you’re sending downstream to them.

What do people see in you? If it isn’t love, it will stop the message of Christ in its tracks, because people will want nothing to do with a message that comes from hate and anger. Turn on the news with the now three major acts of violence making the headlines. Where does it end? It won’t end if we aren’t doing any better in this department because we can’t let go of our disdain toward others.

And it won’t end until we understand that the remedy is love, no matter how hard it is, and we seek God’s help to love others the way Christ loved us.

That’s our challenge this week, so let’s give it to God in prayer.