Who Is My Neighbour

"Who is My Neighbour?" Series: Wake-Up Call #7 Luke 10:25-37 June 14, 2020 In the year 1874, the country of Great Britain received a startling wake-up call. In a massive storm, over 23 cargo ships sank with the loss of life of 70 seaman and 6 rescuers. Many of the ships sank in British harbours within swimming distance of shore. The one thing the ships all had in common? They were heavily overloaded. In the mid-1800's, working as a seaman in Great Britain was a dangerous job. Shady ship owners tried to maximize profits by overloading their vessels. These ships often sank in bad weather, allowing the owners to make an even greater profit on the over-insured freighters. In just 12 months in 1873-74 around the coastline of the United Kingdom, 411 ships sank and 506 people died. Overloading and poor repair made some ships so dangerous that they became known as "coffin ships." Sailors refused to go aboard these coffin ships and were often imprisoned for desertion. Between 1870 and 1872 alone, over 1,600 sailors were incarcerated for this "crime." But a young British politician, Samuel Plimsoll, decided to heed the wake-up call of gross social injustice to seamen at the hands of unscrupulous ship owners that was being sounded through these tragedies. Plimsoll, a Christian, responded by announcing that he would "do all in his power to put an end to the unseaworthy ships owned by the greedy and the unscrupulous." As a member of the House of Commons he tried to have a law passed, but ship-owning politicians and their ship-owner cronies rejected the legislation. After the storm of 1874 where 23 overloaded ships sank with much loss of life, Plimsoll displayed sailors' grieving widows in public and distributed at his own expense 600,000 copies of a book exposing the vile practices of the ship owners. Finally, under his leadership, Parliament passed the Merchant Shipping Act of 1875 which marked the beginning of the end for coffin ships. From then on, and to this day, vessels had to display the Plimsoll Mark, a load line, painted clearly on their hulls, showing how deep they could safely sit in the water to prevent overloading. The new practice saved thousands of lives of seaman who were trapped by this grievous injustice. Samuel Plimsoll didn't sit by idly when confronted by a wake-up call regarding social injustice in his world. His response was one of compassion and action. Today, another wake-up call, this one with shock waves reverberating around the globe, is being sounded regarding a different type of social injustice: prejudice and racism. At the epi-centre of this wake-up call is an event in Minneapolis just three weeks ago. On May 25, the life of George Floyd, a black American, was snuffed out due to the use of excessive and brutal force during the course of an arrest by Derek Chauvin, a white police officer. As I watched the video of George's death, my heart broke. Though I have great respect for authority and for police men and women who put their lives on the line on a daily basis in the service of others, I knew that what I was seeing was wrong. Questions filled my mind: How could someone be so inhumane? Why did the other policeman not intervene and pull Derek off of George? How could they be so callous as to be unaware of his suffering and imminent death? I was broken and moved as I saw the anger and outrage that ensued on the heels of George's death. What was going on? As I have listened to commentary over the past two weeks from many different sources, I have come to realize that the anger expressed by so many in the black community ensued not just from the act of murder itself, as terrible and inhumane as it was. They were also enraged by what lay underneath the act. In in the words of Terry Rolston, President of Focus on the Family Canada, the black community knew that somewhere deep at the heart of this act was a desperately wicked expression of malice and ambivalence reflective of the horror they face every day of their lives: prejudice and racism. Rolston continues, The inhumanity of the act that took George Floyd's life would have been enough to stir anger, but it was much more than that. The inaction of those in authority around him reflected the injustice so many in the black community have experienced in regard to their own suffering. The inaction to his pleas for help spoke directly to the disregard those in the black community feel every day from authorities who seem unconcerned for their dying souls. The lack of compassion touched the core of their being as they wondered afresh whether anyone cares. The ambivalence to his dying breath and to the cries from those around spoke loudly to the hollow silence they feel every day to their plight and unchanging reality of life. Rolston says, I wish I could say I was the first to be angry, but I wasn't. I was saddened and distraught by George Floyd's lifeless body, but I didn't see the bigger picture until those who responded helped me understand that a deep injustice was symbolized in his death, and the world needs to finally pay attention to the pain and suffering it is causing. Prejudice is evil and we should be angry at its existence and at the ambivalence to its destructive ends. George Floyd's death follows the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, an African American man who was jogging near his home on February 23 of this year. He was running in Satilla Shores, a community in southeast Georgia, when he was confronted by two armed men in a pickup truck. Arbery was shot and killed. Charges of racism have pervaded this tragedy from its inception. The two men who confronted Arbery are white. No arrests were made or charges filed until over two months after the shooting when a video of the attack was made public. Many have asked if the same delay would have occurred if a white man had been the victim. For years and even centuries, many non-white North Americans, like George and Ahmaud, have found themselves objects of bigotry and oppression simply because of the colour of their skin, their mother tongue, or their ethnic background. It's not just the "land of the free and the home of the brave" that is rife with prejudice, racism, and social injustice. It exists right here in the True North, Strong and Free. It lurks in the hidden recesses of your heart, and my heart. Are you and I listening to these wake-up calls against prejudice, racism, and social injustice? Or, are you and I of the opinion, "I'm not prejudiced?" Let me ask you a probing, and possibly unsettling question. In the words of a former work colleague spoken when she was about to ask me a tough-love question, "Hold on to your heart!" What was the first thing you thought the last time you saw a man of First Nations descent on the street? What was the second and third thing you thought? Did you make assumptions about him based on his racial and ethnic background? Did your prejudice cause you to see him through negative, suspicious, or critical eyes without knowing him, his character, and the particular circumstances of his life? How would you feel if someone made similar judgments about you, based simply on the colour of your skin, your family of origin, your choice of attire, or the style of your hair? The victims of prejudice and racism may vary from Georgia to Minneapolis to Alberta. But one thing doesn't change. Racism, prejudice, and social injustice are always despised by God. Why? Because at the heart of prejudice and racism is pride, a feeling of superiority over another. Jesus knew the human heart well. He knew that we are prone to give ourselves a pass. To deny and/or justify our prejudice and racism, to turn away with indifference when we see social injustice. One of the places Jesus addresses this tendency is in the Parable of the Good Samaritan which we find in Luke 10:25-27. What's the setting for this well-known story told by Jesus? One day a Jewish religious leader approached Jesus and asked him a question. He says, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus responds, "What is written in the law?" How do you read it?" The religious leader answers, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." Jesus replies, "You've answered correctly. Do this and you will live." We now learn something about the religious leader's motives. Luke tells us that he wanted to justify himself. In other words, he wanted to obtain a pass for his prejudices. He didn't believe that all neighbours were created equal. The word neighbour in the Greek literally means someone who is near. In Hebrew, the word means someone with whom you have association. In Jesus' day, orthodox Jews only associated with other Jews. And religious leaders often associated only with those within their own sect. Likely, the religious leader only felt an obligation to express compassion, mercy, and love to others of his own group - those who looked, talked, walked, and smelled like him. He says to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus answers by telling a short story or parable. A man is walking from Jerusalem down to Jericho when he is attacked and beaten by robbers, stripped of his clothes, and left for dead on the side of the road. Jesus' story made perfect sense to his listeners because the road from Jerusalem to Jericho descended and winded through a badlands area that was a perfect hideout area for thieves and robbers. The next character introduced in the story is a priest. He spies the wounded man as he walks along the road. If anyone should understand the love and compassion of God and one's duty to love and care for others, it's a priest. But he fails to render aid. He has no compassion toward the wounded, dying man. In fact, he moves to the other side of the road, likely pretending not to see the . . . mess. The second character in the parable is a Levite. Levites were servants who performed the ritual sacrifices and maintained the operations of the Temple. Like the priest, the Levite would have known God's law and his expectation to show mercy and compassion to others quite well. But inexcusably, he, too, chooses to ignore the wounded man and leaves him to die. The third character is a Samaritan. A Samaritan was the least likely of the three characters to have had compassion and shown mercy to the wounded man. The Samaritans were despised by the Jews. They were considered low-class scum because they had intermarried with Gentiles and kept only parts of the Law. In like manner, Samaritans also despised Jews and wanted nothing to do with them. Yet, the Samaritan in the story has a totally out of character response to the wounded man who is close to death. Jesus tells us that unlike the priest and Levite who failed to demonstrate love, the Samaritan has compassion on the man, goes to him, bandages his wounds, pours oil and wine on his wounds, puts him on his own donkey, takes him to a nearby inn, and cares for him overnight. The next day and at his own expense, the Samaritan asks the innkeeper to continue caring for the man until he is back on his feet. Furthermore, he tells the innkeeper that if the money he has paid is insufficient to cover the man's tab that he will settle the entire bill the next time he passes by. Wow! Jesus is drawing a strong contrast. He is contrasting those who know God's law and expectations with those who actually follow the Law in their lifestyle and conduct. He is contrasting those whose prejudice and racism result in ignoring, denying, and perpetrating social injustice with those who overcome their prejudice and racism with compassion and action that combats social injustice. Jesus asks the religious leader a question. He says, "Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" Here again, the religious leader reveals his prejudice and hardness of heart. He says, "The one who showed mercy to him." Notice that he can't bring himself to say the word "Samaritan"; he refers to the third character as "the one showed mercy." His prejudice and racist attitude toward Samaritans is so strong that he can't even refer to them properly. Jesus then tells the lawyer "Go and do the same." In other words, he should start living what the law tells him to do. He should shed his prejudice and racism and start responding to the social injustices around him. What is Jesus saying to us in this parable? He's telling us to follow the example of the Samaritan, to show compassion and love for those we encounter in our everyday activities. This admonition to love others applies regardless of the person's race, ethnicity, or religion. If they have a need and we can meet it, then we are to give generously and freely, without expectation of return. This is an impossible obligation for the religious leader, and for us. Our human condition prevents us from keeping the Law consistently. Our heart is tainted by sin. Its desires are focused on self and selfishness. If left to ourselves, we most often do the wrong thing and fail to live up to God's standards. Perhaps the lawyer came to understood this and realized that he was incapable of living up to God's standard, that he needed a saviour to rescue him from the power of sin in his life. The Parable of the Good Samaritan calls for three actions: First, we are to set aside our prejudice and racism and show love and compassion to others. There's no place for prejudice and racism in the Kingdom of God. Why? Let me give you five reasons: 1. Every person is created by God in his image (Gen 1:27). This means that every person is sacred regardless of his race or ethnicity. 2. Every human has the same parents. Every person is descended from Adam and Eve, and every person is descended from Noah and his wife. We are all members of the same family. 3. Every person is equally valuable to God. Paul stated boldly: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28). Paul said this despite the fact that most Jews considered Greeks to be unclean and inferior. Some Jews claimed that God made Gentiles to provide "firewood in hell." Many Jews were so prejudiced they wouldn't even look at a Gentile in public. On the other hand, Gentiles have mercilessly persecuted the Jewish people throughout history. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, Russia, Nazi Germany - the persecuting nation changed, but the prejudice and racism did not. For Paul to declare that there is neither Jew nor Gentile in Christ was revolutionary. So were the radical claims that there is not slave or free nor male or female in Christ. Slavery was endemic in the first-century world. Many viewed slaves, especially foreign slaves, as greatly inferior to Romans. When it came to women, Romans considered them as possessions of men. A female belonged to her father until she belonged to her husband. Women were either wives or concubines, with few rights of their own. Galatians 3:8 makes crystal clear that there is no place for racism or prejudicial treatment among God's children. Every person is equally valuable to God 4. Each person is equally welcome to spiritual rescue in Christ. God wants all people to be saved and to come to faith in his Son (1 Tim 2:4). God's saving love is available to all. Rom 10:12 states, "There is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him." When we trust in Christ, we become one people. I Cor 12:13 declares, "In one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-and all were made to drink of one Spirit" (1 Cor 12:13). 5. All people will be equally valuable in eternity. In Rev. 7:9 we read, "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands." So, the Parable of the Good Samaritan instructs us to set aside our prejudice and demonstrate love and compassion to others. It also clearly shows us that our neighbor is anyone we encounter; not just those of the same race, ethnicity, or religious persuasion. We are to show love and compassion to everyone we meet, regardless of how different they may be. We are to stand against and seek to reverse social injustice in all its forms. This doesn't mean we should compromise truths God's has revealed in his Word, but we must demonstrate the truth by our love. The prophet Micah says it like this: He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8 ESV) The Parable of the Good Samaritan instructs us to set aside our prejudice and demonstrate love and compassion and demands us to view anyone and everyone we encounter who is in need as our neighbour. Third, the parable also shouts to us the reality that keeping the Law in its entirety with the intent to save ourselves is an impossible task. It reminds us that we need a savior. We need Jesus. Earlier in the message I quoted Terence Rolston of Focus on the Family Canada. In response to the wake-up call against prejudice and racism that has sounded through the death of George Floyd, Rolston says this: I have been searching my heart and asking God to help me understand what to do and how to think rightly about the depths of prejudice and racism that exist. I want to love the Lord my God with all my heart and all my mind, and love my neighbour as myself (Matt 22:37-39). I want to have the eyes of God to see what he sees, knowing he doesn't look on the outward appearance but looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). I want to be angry at prejudice and every callous disregard for the worth of each human person and the life God has given them. But I want to be angry and not sin (Ephesians 4:26). I don't want to voice words or take actions of tokenism to such deep suffering, like those who offered our own Lord sour wine as he died on the cross (Psalm 69:21) instead of repenting of heart and realizing their sin was the cause of his suffering. Oh, may our Lord help us understand that at the root of every evil is sin and that we, like our Lord, must stand against injustice of any kind, and with equal fervour demonstrate compassion, understanding, grace and love to those broken and suffering from its consequence. God is providing us a wake-up call during this season. It's a wake-up call about prejudice and racism that perpetuates social injustice. Not just the prejudice and racism of other people. The prejudice and racism that's in your heart, and my heart. Will you and I choose the response of the priest and Levite? Or, will you and I confess and repent of our prejudice and, like the Samaritan, become a conduit of God's love and mercy to a broken and hurting world, a world desperately in need of seeing God's love in and through you and me? Let's pray. Our Father, please help us. Please lead us to a compassionate understanding of those who are suffering from prejudice and racism, and please grant each one of us a greater understanding of your love, forgiveness, righteous anger toward sin and our desperate need of your saving grace! For your glory Lord! Amen. Who is My Neighbour? 2