Who is my Neighbor?

Greeting

Good morning Lighthouse. How is everyone doing today?

Turn to your neighbor and ask them, “Do you have any left over Valentine’s Day chocolates?”

Before I begin, I want to let you know that we are getting close to inspecting our LKids Building. We are in the final stages here of getting it ready and it looks really great. It’s going to be such a nice place for your children.

So, there’s a couple things that are going to happen, after inspection we will need to install our design. Pastor Joanna has been working on a fresh new design for LKids and we’re going to need to paint, decorate, and make it look really special. In addition to that, we have to move items from down stairs, into this building as well as unload the pod and bring items in and put them away in their new homes.

Also, we’re going to need to beef up our LKids team. Right now, we’re in a space where al our kids are together in one room. In the new building we are breaking out older from younger kids, and in the younger LKids there will be multiple rooms now. All of this is going to be amazing, and we’re reaching out to see how many of you would want to leave a mark on the next generation? Who wants to pour into future world changers, Trail Blazers, and history makers?

We need you and ask that you join this incredible team. Training will be soon and we’ll get you ready to make a difference with our LKids.

Prayer to Begin Sermon

Story

Recently I read a story in the news about an ICE protester and an ICE Agent.

The protestor on his way home from a protesting against ICE was in a car accident and badly injured. While stuck on the side of the road, unable to open the door and exit the car, he looked out of his window and there was a car coming his way. He thought to himself that surely this car would stop. As a matter of fact, he could see into the car that this was someone who was at the protest!

But that car passed him up and kept driving on their way home.

A second car approached and this time is was a Tesla, but on this Tesla was a bumper sticker that read “I bought this car before I knew Elon was crazy.” Surely this person would stop and help this man, but he didn’t. And this man trapped in his car, hurting from the crash and unable to open the door was starting to lose hope.

And then another vehicle approached. It was an unmarked car. It looked really sus, but it pulled over and the drive stepped out of the vehicle. The driver was an ICE agent and his mask was still covering his face as he made his was to the car. Without hesitation he proceeds to open the car door, assist the man out of his car, and that’s when he noticed this man was badly bleeding.

The agent had to make a call. Does he stay and wait or put this man into his vehicle and rush him to the hearest hospital.

He carried this hurting man to his car and drove him to the hospital where he was now passed out and unconscious.

The agent stayed behind at the hospital, did everything he could to reach this man’s family, and did not leave his side until he knew the man was going to pull through.

After this man’s life was saved he continued to check in on him and sneak him in food that was much better than the stuff the hospital was feeding him. He continued to check in until this man was eventually well enough to go home.

Transition

If that story sounded familiar, it should. It mirrors the Story of the Good Samaritan — but set in our cultural climate.

And what’s interesting is the new thing is still the old thing, and that is people have been dehumanizing one another for a very long time.

2,000 years ago it was the Jews dehumanizing the Samaritans.

Today, we dehumanize people who don’t vote like we vote,

Or watch the Super Bowl half time show we watch.

Need

So let’s start by going back to the original story that I referenced and read that together.

Luke 10:25–29 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?”

Here’s what we’re going to see today…

Jesus isn’t just answering who qualifies as our neighbor — He’s redefining how His people see every human being.

And that’s also the title of my message today.

Who Is My Neighbor?

Text

Let’s stop here and take note of some things that are happening in the text. An expert of the law approaches Jesus, who we know is the Messiah and the Son of God. He asks Jesus this question, “what must I do?”

That question matters because he isn’t asking about anyone else but himself.

He’s wondering if he’s done enough.

He’s wondering if he’s put in the work.

Now, if he was to ask his buddy that question, he would likely get a superficial answer based on what his buddy knows about him. Based on what he has seen through Instagram. Based on what the man asking the question has allowed him to see.

But when you ask Jesus, “what must I do?” He’s going to cut right through the superficial and to the heart of who you are.

And that’s what’s happening here…

Jesus knew that this man had biases far from the heart of God.

Beyond that, Luke writing this down and documenting this conversation felt to include this because he knew that this was about more than just this man… this is something that we all deal with.

And if today we are able to put our biases on the table, God’s word is going to speak to us this morning.

[Transition]

That said, Jesus engages with him in the area that this man felt like he was an expert.

What a flex, right?

This man comes to Jesus as an expert of the law and the first thing Jesus asks is, “What is written in the law?”

I imagine that in that moment this man felt like he had Jesus where he wanted him. He brought Jesus onto the mat called the law, and he’s thinking, easy W. I’m going to dog walk this man…

Here’s what’s going on, the man knew the law, but he didn’t know the word. What’s the difference?

John puts it this way:

“In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God… And the word was made flesh and dwelled among us, and we beheld his glory

Said differently - you can know laws, and you can think you have morality figured out, but until you know Jesus you still have an incomplete picture.

You can be a moral person, but until you know Jesus you have an incomplete picture.

This is why good people don’t go to Heaven, forgiven people go to heaven.

Jesus is the King and His Kingdom has a border. The only way you get into the Kingdom is to bow your knee to the Lordship of Jesus and follow his word.

All roads do not lead to the same place - Jesus said, “I am the way…:”

Jesus did not say “a way,” but he said He is “the way.”

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

[Transition]

The man tells Jesus, “I’ve done everything the law requires…” Said differently, I’ve done everything that this system has told me to do…

And yet, why is it that this man still felt the need to ask?

Could it be that even after you’ve done everything that secular society tells you to do - without Jesus you’re still empty?

Could it be that even after you’ve done everything your heart has told you to do - without Jesus you’re still empty?

You can check every box society hands you — and still feel spiritually hollow without Jesus

THEN Jesus tells him the story…

Luke 10:30–32 NIV

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.

Here are the things you have to see, he’s a man leaving Jerusalem to go to Jericho. This detail tells the hearers that this man had just come up to Jerusalem, and now he’s headed down to Jericho.

That statement has more to do with just geography.

Going up to Jerusalem was a spiritual ascension.

He goes up to Jerusalem because that’s where the temple is. That’s where worship is performed. That’s the meeting place for the people of God.

This is like, “there’s a man who left church one Sunday…”

He’s a good person. He went to church. He had his coffee. He sang the songs. He brought his offering. He was a good man who was simply on his way back home…

And there is this unfortunate moment that he’s attacked and left for dead.

What happens next?

First a priest comes.

Then a Levite came.

Surely, these men would help this church going man in need.

But that’s not what happened. They didn’t stop to engage with him.

Not only that, they went around to the other side of the street, and then they passed this man.

Why would they do that?

One simple word packed with meaning - Inconvenience.

They could not be inconvenienced to help this man…

Had they stopped to help this man the Law states that they would then step into a purification period where they could not enter the temple and perform the sacrifices and assist with the ceremonial duties.

Said differently, they protected their worship schedule at the expense of loving a person.

However, that’s very reminiscent of something Jesus said about our worship and our acts of service.

Amos 5:21–24 NIV

“I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!

That’s the point that Jesus is making… these men should have put themselves through whatever inconvenience this delay would have caused them, because they loved justice as much as they loved worship…

The Samaritan

Then we get to the punch line…

Luke 10:33–37 NIV

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.”

But a Samaritan… That statement is loaded for the hearers of Jesus’ story.

A Samaritan was looked down upon by the Jews of their day.

Why? Because they were descendants of Jews who ignored God’s command to not take foreign wives. By doing that they invoked the wrath of God on them.

Jews were upset. Jews were angry. They felt justified in their prejudice towards them.

But what happens when an entire people group is punished for the mistakes made generations before them?

I’ll tell you what is happening… the same thing that is happening today anytime we dehumanize an entire group of people for what we perceive to be wrong.

And here in Jesus’ story we see that the hero of Jesus’ story was the person they least expected.

THAT person.

THOSE people.

Our neighbor is not just the people who look like us, vote like us, and share every one of our preferences, but our neighbor is also the person who is on the other side of the aisle. The person who sees the politics of our day differently. The person who voted for the person you despise.

Your neighbor is whoever God puts in front of you - not whoever you’re comfortable with.

And Jesus tells you to love your neighbor as much as you love yourself. Or said differently, love that person as much as you love the people who look like, act like, and vote like you do.

As much as you love yourself, and your political ideology, and your political policy, go and love that person the same way.

Imago Dei

How do I do that Pastor?

Say this with me: Imago Dei

This is the scriptural claim that humanity bears the image of God, and because of that we are to treat everyone with human dignity.

This doctrine is all throughout the scripture and it points us to the fact that every person has worth and we have ethical obligations to uphold the worth of every person.

We have to start here when we have a hard time loving that person who doesn’t agree with us.

As a follower of Jesus, who does not bow their knee to the news cycle or the media, but only to the Lordship of Jesus, we see the image of God in every human.

(Conclusion) Statements

Loving your neighbor isn’t theoretical. It shows up in how we talk about real people, real policies, real tensions in our world.

I’m not speaking as a politician — I’m speaking as a pastor trying to help us love people well while living faithfully in our nation.

Immigrants

All immigrants are not evil people. We are a country made up of immigrants. Just becuase someone is an immigrant it does not make them a rapist, it does not make them a thief, it does not make them an evil person.

Borders

I also want to say that our nation, like every other nation, has the right to defend its borders. Every nation has a right to defend its laws. That’s what makes it a sovereign nation. We have borders and we have laws and we have a right to defend those things.

This is also why you have locks on your doors. You have the right and responsibility to lock your doors at night to keep people that you don’t want coming in to your house into your house.

Legal Immigration

I fully support legal immigration. There is a door that can be walked through in order to become a citizen of this country and we welcome the immigrant through that door.

This is where we have to do better as country and evaluate our laws, but I believe that these laws are in place to protect its citizens.

And listen, as a Pastor of a growing multi-ethnic Church, I want more people coming into our country that may not hear about Jesus in their country of origin, but they can here.

Not only can they hear about Jesus, but they can surrender their lives to Jesus, and I love to see the day of great revival in our country and people are flocking to this country because the Kingdom of God is being established here.

Pray for Leaders

So here in this tension, our response is to pray for our leaders; regardless of political party we are called to pray for those that are in authority over us. That includes our politicians, our military, our first responders, the police, border patrol, ICE, DHS and the list goes on.

Love your neighbor.

Please do not allow your response to people made in the image of God to be shaped by the media. Let your response be shaped by the word of God.

People are pawns in politics — but never in the Kingdom of God.

Don’t play the game of politics.

Don’t surrender your heart to a political party.

Surrender your heart to Jesus and live for the Kingdom of God.

Call

Before I end I want to make two calls. Here’s the first one… this is the call to surrender your heart to Jesus. If you have never made Jesus your Lord and Savior, and you are watching everything going on around us and it’s messing with your mind, your heart, and you don’t like who you are becoming… it may be time for you to switch allegiances. Out of the Kingdom of this world and into the Kingdom of God.

If that’s you, I want to pray for you.

[Salvation Prayer and Next Steps]

The second prayer is far more personal, but it is a call for us to soften our hearts to those who are on the “other side”. If you’ve stopped seeing people who don’t agree with you as your neighbor, I want the Lord to do some heart work right now. I’m going to start us in prayer, and then as our worship begins to sing, you can come up for prayer and we’re here to pray for you and any need you might have right now.