Won't You Be My Neighbor?

INTRODUCTION

OPENING STORY: MR. ROGERS IS KNOWN AS THE MAN WHO ALWAYS ASKED WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR, AND NOWHERE WAS HIS INVITATION MORE TESTED THAN IN 1968. ON APRIL 4TH 1968, MLK WAS ASSASSINATED ON THE BALCONY OF THE LORRAINE MOTEL…USHERED IN ONE OF THE MOST VIOLENT TIMES IN WHICH RIOTS ERUPTED ALL OVER URBAN CENTERS IN RESPONSE TO HIS KILLING. MR. ROGERS- WHOSE TELEVISION SHOW HAD JUST DEBUTED TWO MONTHS EARLIER- FELT COMPELLED TO DO SOMETHING. SO HE REACHED OUT TO A BLACK MAN NAMED FRANCOIS CLEMMONS WITH AN IDEA. IN AN EPISODE THAT AIRED ONLY A FEW MONTHS AFTER KINGS DEATH, ROGERS OPENED IT UP BY WALKING IN THE HOUSE SINGING BUT INSTEAD OF PUTTING ON HIS CARDIGAN HE COMPLAINED OF HOW HOT IT WAS AND THOUGHT IT WOULD BE NICE TO GET INTO A POOL. SO HE GOES TO THE YARD, FILLS A TINY POOL WITH WATER AND INVITES A BLACK MAN NAMED FRANCOIS TO STICK HIS FEET IN THE POOL WITH HIM…A SCANDALOUS SIGHT THAT SHOCKED THE NATION. WHAT’S MORE IS CLEMMONS BECAME THE FIRST BLACK MAN WITH A RECURRING ROLE ON A CHILDREN’S SHOW, ONE HE WOULD HOLD FOR DECADES. FITTING FOR THE MAN WHO SAID WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR.

MAKING IT RELEVANT- NEIGHBORHOOD ARGUMENT

MY MOTHER IS FROM NORTH PHILADELPHIA…SHE CALLS IT THE HOOD. TALKS ABOUT IT AS IF SHE SURVIVED VIETNAM. POOR URBAN COMMUNITIES ARE REFERRED TO AS THE HOOD BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE DON’T ACT NEIGHBORLY. CRIME. VIOLENCE. EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF. MY FEAR IS THAT THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST HAS VENTURED FROM A NEIGHBORHOOD TO JUST A HOOD- A COLLECTION OF INDIVIDUALS WHO MERELY LOOK OUT FOR THEMSELVES AND NOT THE BEST INTEREST OF OTHERS. EXAMPLES: JUST GIVE US THE WORD, AND YET WE ARE NOT TRULY BEING NEIGHBORLY. NOT REALLY REACHING THE POOR. LACK OF GIVING. SCANDAL OF THE EVANGELICAL CONSCIENCE. CHURCHES TEND TO BE MONOCULTURAL WHERE CLASSES ARE NOT BEING TRANSGRESSED. HOMOGENEITY STILL REIGNS. SANCTUARIES REFLECT DINNER TABLES.

OH HOW WE NEED THE SPIRIT OF MR. ROGERS TODAY- WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?

SUMMARY OF STORY. THIS IS ABOUT NEIGHBORLY LOVE TO ALL AND ESPECIALLY A KIND OF NEIGHBORLY LOVE THAT TRANSGRESSES ETHNIC LINES, LIKE THE KIND MR. ROGERS SHOWED TO FRANCOIS.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT:

LAWYER- NOT JUST A GENERAL LAWYER, BUT A LEGAL SCHOLAR IN THE FIELD OF THE SCRIPTURES. INTERESTING HE’S ASKING JESUS QUESTIONS WHEN HE’S SUPPOSED TO BE THE SCHOLAR, LET’S YOU KNOW HIS MOTIVES ARE NOT THE BEST.

HE WANTS TO KNOW HOW TO GET ETERNAL LIFE?

JESUS POINTS HIM TO THE SCRIPTURES. LET’S BE PEOPLE FO THE BOOK.

HE ANSWERS BY SUMMING UP THE TWO GREAT COMMANDMENTS, VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL.

DO THESE THINGS AND YOU WILL LIVE. ZOE. TRUE LIFE. TRUE LIFE IS FOUND IN LOVING GOD WITH THE TOTALITY OF ONE’S BEING AND ONE’S NEIGHBOR AS ONE’S SELF. IT IS FOUND LIVING NOT FOR SELF, BUT LIVING BEYOND YOURSELF FOR OTHERS.

BUNT ILLUSTRATION. SACRIFICE. LAY DOWN YOUR RIGHTS SO THAT YOUR TEAM CAN BE SUCCESSFUL, THIS IS THE REAL JOY.

THE ESSENCE OF LOVE-

EXPLANATION: THE MAN STILL HAS QUESTIONS. HE NOW WANTS TO KNOW WHO IS HIS NEIGHBOR? JESUS TELLS A STUNNING STORY. TELL THE STORY. MAN WAS GOING DOWN FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO. A TREACHEROUS JOURNEY. JERUSALEM WAS 23-2500 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL. JERICHO WAS ABOUT 900 FEET BELOW SEA LEVEL. SO THE JOURNEY WAS GOING DOWN ABOUT 3400 FEET. IT’S A DANGEROUS ONE MAKING IT A PERFECT HANG OUT FOR ROBBERS. ONE OF THEIR PLOYS WAS TO LAY DOWN AND ACT AS IF THEY HAD BEEN ATTACKED, SO WHEN YOU GOT CLOSE OTHERS WOULD ROB YOU. THE PRIEST AND THE LEVITE UNDERSTAND THIS, THAT’S WHY THE TEXT SAYS THEY PASSED BY ON THE OTHER SIDE. THEY ARE LOOKING OUT FOR SELF AND DRIVEN BY SELF PRESERVATION. THE PRIEST WE KNOW WAS GOING DOWN WHICH MEANS HE HAS JUST FINISHED PERFORMING HIS DUTIES IN THE TEMPLE (PAINT THE PICTURE) WE’VE ALL BEEN THERE. READ BOOKS. GO TO SCHOOLS. PREACH SERMONS THAT WAS ME. , BUT HIS FAILURE TO STOP AND CARE FOR THIS MAN REVEALS THAT HIS IS A PROFESSIONAL FAITH, AND NOT AN AUTHENTIC FAITH. A PROFESSIONAL IS ONE WHO GETS PAID FOR THEIR SERVICES, BUT ONCE THE PERFORMANCE IS OVER THAT’S IT.

WALTER PAYTON ILLUSTRATION...

APPLICATION: A LOT OF PROFESSIONAL “CHRISTIANS” WHO COME TO CHURCH AND DO THEIR SERVICE, BUT ONCE THE SERVICE IS OVER THEY GO BACK TO THE REAL THEM. THEY SING IN CHURCH AND CUSS ON THE PARKING LOT. THEY LIFT UP HOLY HANDS IN CHURCH, AND PUT THOSE SAME HANDS IN UNHOLY PLACES.

EXPLANATION 2: IN AN IRONY A SAMARITAN STOPS AND CARES FOR THIS MAN. SAMARITANS COULDN’T WORSHIP IN THE TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM WHERE THE PRIEST JUST CAME FROM. BUT HE PROVES HIMSELF TO BE MORE AUTHENTIC IN HIS FAITH THAN THE PREACHER! NOTICE WHAT HE DOES- HE POURS OIL AND WATER ON HIM, USING HIS OWN RESOURCES. HE PLACES HIM ON HIS ANIMAL WHICH MEANS HE HAS TO WALK. HE TAKES HIM TO THE INN AND SPENDS TWO DAYS WAGES ON HIM. HE IS COMPLETELY INCONVENIENCED. THE QUESTION ON THE TABLE IS WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A NEIGHBOR, AND TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR AS OURSELVES. THE ANSWER IS CLEAR- TO INCONVENIENCE OURSELVES FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF OTHERS. THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST. …THE GOLDEN RULE. - BEAR ONE ANOTHER’S BURDENS.

JOHN HOWARD GRIFFIN- BLACK LIKE ME ILLUSTRATION. HE ENDURED INCONVENIENCE BUT BECAME A POWERFUL INSTRUMENT OF RECONCILIATION, LIKE JESUS. PRIVILEGE.

THE EXTENT OF LOVE-

EXPLANATION: “BUT A SAMARITAN”. HISTORY OF SAMARITAN’S- MIXED RACED PEOPLE OF JEW AND GENTILE BLOOD. DESPISED BY JEWS AND REFERRED TO AS DOGS. JEWS SO HATED THEM THEY WOULD GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO AVOID THEM. NO ONE WENT TO SAMARIA. NOW WE DON’T KNOW THE IDENTITY OF THE MAN WHO WAS BEATEN, BUT SUPPOSE HE WAS JEWISH HAVING JUST RETURNED FROM THE TEMPLE…STRONG EVIDENCE HE WAS. SEE THE IRONY. WHILE THE POSTERCHILDREN FOR ALL THINGS JEWISH- PRIEST’S AND LEVITES- PASS HIM BY, A MEMBER OF THE ETHNICALLY DESPISED AND OPPRESSED SAMARITANS DROPS EVERYTHING AND SPARES NO EXPENSE TO HELP HIM. JEWS IN THE AUDIENCE WOULD HAVE BEEN OFFENDED BY THIS. WHO IS OUR NEIGHBOR- BECAUSE THAT IS THE QUESTION- IT’S EVERYONE WE MEET, EVEN THE ETHNICALLY OTHER. EVEN THE MEMBER OF THE ETHNIC GROUP WHOSE BEEN DESPISED.

POINT: I LOVE THIS FOR SEVERAL REASONS: 1. IT FLIPS THE POWER DYNAMIC ON ITS HEAD. THIS STORY WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PALATABLE HAD IT BEEN A ROMAN HELPING A JEW, OR A JEW HELPING A SAMARITAN. BUT A SAMARITAN HELPING A JEW? A BLACK MAN HELPING A WHITE MAN? THAT’S THE POINT. OUR WHITE BROTHERS AND SISTERS ARE IN NEED OF NEIGHBORLY LOVE, A KIND OF LOVE THAT INCONVENIENCES US MINORITIES FOR THEIR CONVENIENCE. WE WILL NEVER RISE TO TRUE RECONCILIATION AS LONG AS WE MINORITIES POSTURE OURSELVES AS THE BEATEN ONE’S WHO ARE LAYING ON THE GROUND. WE NEED TO COME TO THEIR AID AS WELL. AND THIS IS SHOCKING

MONDONICO ILLUSTRATION OF BEING IN TARGET WITH WHITE FOSTER CHILD.

POINT 2: YOU CAN’T TRULY HELP PEOPLE YOU’RE BITTER WITH. HAD THIS SAMARITAN NOT DEALT WITH THE BITTERNESS IN HIS OWN HEART TOWARDS JEWS HE WOULD NOT HAVE CARED FOR THIS MAN THE WAY HE DID. YOU CANNOT LEAD PEOPLE AND TRULY LOVE PEOPLE YOU’RE ANGRY WITH AT THE SAME TIME.

JONAH ILLUSTRATION.

ME AND MY PERSONAL APPLICATION. LAKE AVENUE.

THE ENVIRONMENT OF LOVE-

EXPLANATION: GO OVER ALL HE DID FOR HIM. IN ESSENCE HE SHOWS HIM HOSPITALITY. THIS IS MORE THAN WRITING A CHECK AND SENDING HIM ON HIS WAY. IT IS PROFOUND CARE IN AN ENVIRONMENT OF HOSPITALITY. NOW WHAT IS HOSPITALITY- IT IS THE ACT OF CONVERTING STRANGERS INTO FRIENDS.

BIBLICAL OVERVIEW: GOD’S PRIMARY WEAPON IN CONVERSION IS HOSPITALITY. THE MAJOR MOVES OF GOD ARE MARKED BY PROFOUND HOSPITALITY. EXODUS EVENT. SHARE A MEAL CALLED THE PASSOVER. WOVEN INTO THE LIFE OF ISRAEL ALONG WITH OTHER MEALS. JESUS COMES AND THE PRIMARY SETTING WE SEE IS HOSPITALITY IN HOMES. CONVERSION HAPPENS. LAST SERMON SHOW HOSPITALITY. EVE OF HIS BETRAYAL THERE’S COMMUNION. HOW DID WE GET SAVED- . FEAST OF THE NEW COVENANT. AND THEN THERE’S THIS VERSE IN .

POINT: I WANT TO PUT FORWARD TO YOU THAT THE STRONGEST ARSENAL, THE LAST HILL WE HAVE TO CLIMB IN OUR WORK OF RECONCILIATION IS HOSPITALITY. HOSPITALITY KILLS HOSTILITY.

DANISH GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL WHO IS MUSLIM. KEPT ALL OF HER EMAILS. SHOWED KINDNESS.

NELSON MANDELA AT INAUGURATION BANQUET.

ME WITH WHITES AND HOW MY ATTITUDES WERE PROFOUNDLY CHANGED BY SHARING MEALS WITH THEM. MCLEAN. ADAM. BOBBY. GET A WHITE FRIEND.

GOSPEL CONCLUSION: YOU WILL NEVER PRACTICE THIS KIND OF RADICAL HOSPITALITY UNTIL YOU FIRST SEE YOURSELF AS THE BEATEN MAN LEFT FOR DEAD ON THIS ROAD WHO WAS RESCUED BY THE HOSPITALITY OF JESUS CHRIST.