Who Is My Neighbor?

Title: Who Is My Neighbor?

Intro:

In 1974, the OPC submitted a report entitled "On the Problems of Race". The committee members met 14 times over a span of 3 years in order to complete the their task to "study proper Christian action for the church of Jesus Christ in meeting the problems of race, based upon plain and consistent Biblical principles." In this report you will find a fantastic Scriptural survey dealing with ethnic diversity but also a very honest admission of racial injustice within American Presbyterianism that impacts the church to this day.

"Past neglect in this area:

The Orthodox Presbyterian Church is largely white for two reasons:

(1) It came out of the Presbyterian Church in the USA which had lost the allegiance of blacks during the ecclesiastical discrimination against blacks in the post-civil war period.

(2) Our church has passed on the situation as we received it in 1936. We have done little to oppose drifting along with the culture. We have rather concentrated our energies on preservation and growth of our struggling churches. Our ministry to minority groups has been almost non-existent. A significant number of urban congregations have gone out of existence since 1936. There has been little or no interest in healing the separation between black and white Christians that occurred after the Civil War. This has shown itself in various ways.

But this should not be the case. The church of Jesus Christ, must both declare and demonstrate that racism and discrimination is sinful and not tolerated. Richard Mouw in 1978 said, “To make covenantal promises on behalf of a black child is to commit ourselves to the black struggle. If society tries to treat him like a second class citizen, we will have to protest on his behalf since he is our brother in a holy nation!”

The OPC report also encouraged congregations to speak about issues of racial reconciliation in sermons, pastoral visits, and church council meetings. In my 10 years of being a member of the OPC I do not recall ever hearing this subject discussed. In seminary, while studying Scripture, theology, and Reformed and Presbyterian history, it was rarely even mentioned. I’m thankful for the opportunity to add my voice to this conversation here at Christ Covenant and pray that this will spark future conversations.

Does this matter to Sheridan?

-around 3,000 population -95% white

Why even have a conversation about race in a predominately white community? Why bring up an uncomfortable subject?

1.) The Bible cares deeply about how Christians treat others because God has created all human beings in His image. The consummation of all things ends with believers from every nation and tribe worship Christ. While we may not have a multiethnic church in Sheridan, IN next week, we will have on in heaven.

2.) The church’s history, even in our Reformed traditions, have failed to commit itself to the struggle of minorities within the United States.

Both before and after the civil war, Christian publications attempted to show why believers should support slavery. Attempting to give what they said were biblical, evangelistic, and political reasons.

Once slavery was legally abolished, many Christians supported policies that would continue to discriminate against minorities. Jim Crow which sought to establish separate but equal laws were anything but equal. From 1889 through 1929, one African American was on average lynched every four days. Have we stoped and thought about what this meant for the African American community? So many families without fathers, little financial support, generations of families with little understanding of a dad and the resulting trauma of unjust but lawful killing of people considered at best sub-human. And I just want to cry out and ask, where was the church to protest such wicked actions? But all too often the church wasn't just a silent witness but professing Christians advocated for such separation.

I’m sure almost all of us have seen pictures of sit-in boycotts by civil rights activist. A few African Americans would peaceful protest by sitting in all white diner. Surrounded by white college students who spit at them, poured drinks and threw food at them, sprayed them with insect repellent. These black students would often be beaten and arrested shortly after. I’ve always wondered what happened to them afterwards. Not primarily the black students but the whites. What became of these white college aged men and women who were probably raised in evangelical churches, perhaps catechized. Did they become doctors, teachers, managers, police officers, pastors, parents who would raise their children with the same hatred towards blacks that they had?

Many evangelical churches refused blacks to have membership into their church. If they did slaves, had to take baptismal vows that they would remain faithful to their masters. That while their spirit was set free from sin, they were to remain in physical bondage and would not do anything to see their freedom. If blacks were even allowed to take communion, they often had to take it after all the white members were served. What does this say about the church body? Are we truly members of Christ and one another?

The OPC Race report calls the Reformed church to repent of all such sins that would separate the body of Christ, repent of racism and discrimination that lies in our heart. But sadly so often we try to minimize this past without true repentance and change.

Dr. Joseph Pipa was recently interviewed about the importance of reading Southern Presbyterians and he specifically mentions Robert Louis Dabney who was slave holder. Dr. Pipa says “Today in the social climate these men are maligned because they had certain views of their times in respect to slavey and things like that and Dabney had some very unfortunate statements BUT he was a man of his time and was bitter during reconstruction and we just have to recognize that we are all sinners with feet of clay and get past that to get the riches in Dabney or other men of his time.”

Dabney believed that slavery was the best possible social relation between white and black Americans because blacks were the inherently inferior race. He said slaves were unable to be educated and sought to use Scripture to prove why those who opposed slavery opposed Christ. He preferred to have younger slaves because they would be more “whip-able”.

Now I have learned a great deal from both Dabney and Pipa but with all due respect to Dr. Pipa, simply saying that Dabney was a man of his time and we must get past this is not the way forward in true repentance. While there is a lot of good in Dabney, there is great evil as well that continued to shape the believe of southern presbyterians to this day. I weep over the fact that our Reformed churches are often not diverse. But how can we expect otherwise until we are willing to confess that so many of our Presbyterian heroes committed great evil against African Americans, many who are our brothers and sisters in Christ.

3.) Our conduct in the world must be undefiled. The world notices how the church handles these issues. For so many the word “evangelical” has taken on a meaning of white, middle class, republican INSTEAD of believers who hold to the fundamentals of the gospel. Some of us would hate this new many but I’m convinced for many who confess the faith, the desire evangelical to be nothing more than white, middle class, and republican. If someone doesn’t fit that description they are not welcomed.

Are we are Christians known for our love for others, even in our disagreements with the world? The early church was often considered very strange. Sometimes believers where thought to be canibales as they were partaking of the “body and blood” in communion. But one thing was clear, this was a body that loved well.

Justin Martyr said “We who used to value the acquisition of wealth and possessions more than anything else now bring what we have into a common fund and share it with anyone who needs it. We used to hate and destroy one another and refused to associate with people of another race or country. Now, because of Christ, we live together with such people, and pray for our enemies.”

Tertullian wrote “it is mainly the deeds of a love so noble that lead many to put a brand upon us… ‘See how they love one another.

Contrast this to what Franklin Graham said in an interview about the election of Donald Trump.

“He did everything wrong politically. He offended gays. He offended women. He offended the military. He offended black people. He offended Hispanic people. He offended everyone! And he became president of the United States. Only God could do that… there is no question that God is supporting Trump.”

When asked about Christians who worry about Trump, those of color, those who wish their leader would be more welcoming towards Muslims and LGBT people, even if they disagree with the way they live, Graham said, “ If they have a problem with Trump and with the role white evangelicalism are playing in their era of politics, talk to God about it. If they’re hurt, sorry… I believe Trumps there because God put him there.”

Are we striving to be known as those who love well? Are we willing to sacrifice our own desires and privileges to serve those around us? I want us to wrestle with this question, “Who is my neighbor?” or better yet, “Am I a faithful neighbor?” as we look at our text today.

SURPRISING QUESTION

[25] And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” [26] He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” [27] And he answered, “You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself.” [28] And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

[29] But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

LAWYER- an expert in the law; often called scribes were trained to interpret and teach the law of God and Jewish traditions to others.

SURPRISING EXAMPLE

[30] 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. [31] Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. [32] So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. [33] But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. [34] 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. [35] 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.’

JERICHO- this road was known to be an extremely dangerous route. According to Josephus it was desolate and rocky. Those in power hire armed guards to protect themselves from robbers. Jerome says that Jericho was called “the bloody way”.

SAMARITAN- what makes Jesus’ story even more powerful is that the one who shows mercy is a Samaritan. They were considered outside Jewish “orthodox” because they believed temple worship was to take place in Samaria and not in Jerusalem. In fact, in chapter 9 the disciples were rebuked by Jesus because they asked if they could call down fire and wipe out a Samaritan village because they were not welcomed there.

SURPRISING MERCY

[36] Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” [37] He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Jesus challenges the hypocritical lawyer who tried to use his theology to

withhold love. The lawyer tried to use God’s Word as a way to draw lines of distinction. Jesus reveals that the “laws rightful purpose is to break down any distinction that a person might seek to make.”

We need to remember what the Lawyer originally asked. He wanted a clear boundary of who is in and who is out. Who is my neighbor? Who EXACTLY am I called to care for? But Jesus never answers this question. Instead he asked the Lawyer, "Who proved to be a neighbor?" In doing so, Jesus forces the Lawyer and us to ask ourselves, Am I a neighbor?

A true neighbor in the Kingdom of God must love those in need. A true neighbor treats others as they have been treated by Christ. “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.”

Think of what God has done for us. Jesus took on our humanity in order to redeem us from our sin. While I’m not a fan of The Message translation, I think at times it can be a helpful commentary to get us to think about the meaning of Scripture. , “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” Out of love, Jesus dwelt upon us. He did not find ways to draw lines of distinction like the lawyer did. He took notice of sinners like you and me and had compassion. He loved us with a costly love. Jesus did not count his privileges, his equality with God, a thing to be grasped but rather became a servant. He humbled himself even to the point of death on a cross in order to demonstrate His love for us. And Jesus tells us to go and show mercy towards those in need.

Pastor Thabite Anyabwile in reflecting upon how the theological giant Jonathan Edwards could not see the problem with owning slaves wrote, “the best of the Reformed tradition teaches us that the Bible is sufficient for all of life and faith. Even if our theological forbearers didn’t mine that sufficiency sufficiently, we are in no way absolved from the responsibility of doing better than they did. Let us go farther than our heritage.”

Brothers and sisters, in reflecting upon the mercy we have received, let us show it to others.