WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?

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 fell into the hands of 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, took him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins 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." Luke 10:25-37.

Everyone knows this parable ... it's so common ... we even have a law in Michigan called "The Good Samaritan Law"– if you help somebody in an emergency and mess up, they won't be able to sue you.

This is a "nice" story, but its meaning goes much beyond helping someone that you find stranded or, "don't be so busy when you're going somewhere that you don't see what's right in front of your nose!"

What Jesus is doing here is opening up a door into the Kingdom of Heaven for this lawyer, that's the intent of this parable ... Jesus is opening a door for this one man who comes to ask him a question. Certainly we can learn from this parable .... we can learn about mercy and compassion, but the intent here is to open a door for this man.

Who is this man? He is an expert in the law. That means he is an expert in the Ten Commandments, theology, and all the religious ceremony that went into being a good Jew ... he knew these things backwards and forwards ... and he came up to 'test' Jesus. It wasn't antagonistic. In that era you became an expert in the law in order to engage in those 'spiritual sword fights in order to 'test'. You ask questions ... and whoever gave the cleverest answer won the debate. This is the reason he approached Jesus. But before Jesus can open doors in peoples' lives, he closes other doors. And I think he's closing a door on this man saying, "being an expert in the law has nothing to do with the Kingdom of God."

This man had probably memorized the entire Old Testament and numerous commentaries, yet he was unable to see God and unable to see his neighbor. This man was trapped. He does not know who God is and he doesn't know who his neighbor is. And Jesus is specifically opening a door to this man who, though being an expert in the things of the law, had locked himself in a closet that he was unable to get out of.

Being an expert in the law is a door that leads nowhere, it has nothing to do with the life of a disciple, (the good life) ... of having God's presence around you and with you.

Being an expert in religious things is a game. And if you play the game too long you soon miss the intent and purpose of scripture; Jesus asks him, "How do you 'sum it up' ... what's the intent of the law...what's it all about?"

"Love God ....and love your neighbor," he replies.

I'm sure he memorized this when he was six years old. But does he know what it means? Jesus is trying to open up a door and bring meaning to those words he has known for so long.

"Do this and you will live."

Don't discuss these words,

Don't analyze or explain them ... just do them. "Do this and you will live." This will open a door for you. "Do it. --- 'present tense' --- continually, day-by-day." Give yourself to these words.

"Give yourself to God.... Give yourself to your neighbor."

This was the expert's open door as Jesus, in his mercy, was trying to open his eyes and lead him on a road where he would learn what those words meant.

But, the man, wanting to justify himself, asked Jesus,

"Who is my neighbor?"

This is so typical of religious experts and people who are familiar with the things of the Kingdom of God... and that includes us. We talk so easily and are so familiar with the things of the Kingdom of God, yet they don't have to be active in us.

We are experts, who study, who desire, who love to learn the 'truth', and yet 'truth' doesn't have to operate in us. This is a particular sin of people who walk into churches... "the sin of religious expertise." And every one of us is tempted by this. This man was tempted and so are we. He wanted to show himself righteous before Jesus ... he wanted to justify himself and prove that he knows what's 'right' ... and prove that he is right. Religious experts are always more concerned with knowing 'right' and proving 'right' rather than being right.

The expert also thought he knew who his neighbor was. This is what he thought.....

"The Gentiles among you, those who keep sheep, these people who surround you, don't plan their deaths, but if they are in danger of death you don't have to deliver them. If they fall into the sea, you don't have to take them out. I know it says in scripture you should not rise up and take the blood of your neighbor, but such a one is not your neighbor.... If you do a good turn, know who you're doing it for ... don't let your good deeds go to waste. Do good to a devout man, don't go and help a sinner. Do good to a humble man, do nothing for the godless. In fact, refuse him bread, don't give him any because it may make him stronger than you."

This is the commentary of a 'religious expert' ... the commentary of one who so easily talks about the things of God, but is so lacking when it comes to doing them. The result is;

- we don't look at our neighbor....

- we don't look at the person whom God sends our way.

Instead, we try to figure out if they really are our neighbor ... worthy of our help. But there is one thing to admire about the 'experts' and their commentary ... though it sounds awful, at least it's honest.

Sometimes I don't think we're that honest. We cover up our hardness of heart with statements like;

"Well .... I love everyone."

That is impossible. But Jesus tells us how to love our neighbor. He tells us how to encounter our neighbor, how to see our neighbor, and what that means.

"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of 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...."

The priest ...a Levitical priest who offers sacrifices, is just as much an expert in the law as. the man speaking to Jesus. And when the priest sees the man who fell among robbers, the first things that enters his mind is,

"Gosh, is this my neighbor? Am I obligated.... no, I'm not obligated. Besides, I might become ritually unpure if I touch this man and he's already dead."

So, he goes 'around the other side.' The ironic part of the story is that a priest is an advocate of the people ... he represents the people of Israel before God. When he enters the temple to perform sacrifice, he wears a breastplate. The breastplate bears the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. In more than a symbolic way, he is 'bearing' the entire congregation of Israel before God. To function as a priest and yet avoid the very people who are supposed to 'bear' before Cod is frightening possibility. Yet,

- somehow he's able to intercede and yet not touch,

- somehow able to pray for but not listen.

A Levite also approached and he passed 'on the other side'. The Levite was probably following behind and saw the priest go around, saying,

"Gosh, if he's not going to stop, I'm not going to stop."

The Levite...he was helper to the priests. He's familiar with the intricacies of the law ... an expert.... and if the priest doesn't stop, he's not going to stop either.

- The priest ... chooses not to see this man as a neighbor. He would rather 'classify' him.

- The Levite ...chose not to see this man as a neighbor … "Let someone else figure out if I should act ... I'll just go with the flow."

But, someone saw the man.... someone saw a neighbor.

"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, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra charge you may have.'"

"...the Samaritan came and he saw him."

Do you know what neighbor means in Greek? Neighbor means "the one who is near." It doesn't mean somebody 'over there' ... it's the one who is near ... right in front of me who I have to go-out-of-my-way to go around ... that's who my neighbor is. Not somebody on the other side of the ocean ... but the one who is close by and right in front of my face.

The Samaritan not only SEES, he is AFFECTED by what he sees, he ACTS on what he sees, and FOLLOWS THROUGH.

The priest didn't SEE a neighbor. The man was 'something' to walk around the other side ... not a 'man'... a 'thing'.

How come we don't SEE. Sometimes we're uncomfortable with what we see.... great poverty, great pain. It makes us uncomfortable and frightened and we walk around it.

Secret Pride can also make us blind to others. We label people we would rather not see.

- that's an 'arrogant' person....

- that's a 'sinner' who needs Jesus....

- that's someone who speaks in tongues...

- that's someone who 'Just doesn't understand'....

- that's a 'pro-choice' person.....

- that's a 'rich' person.

We throw these labels at people so we don't have to see them. And at the bottom of that is pride.

Sometimes our neighbor is very close to home…

- our wife,

- our husband,

- our children.

They're close ... they're there ... but the emotional intensity at home is so great we can't see them. We can't see them crying out for help....

"Oh, that kid......" or

..."Why doesn't he see this..."

We let our emotions keep us from seeing the neighbor who lives in our home.

At the root of all this 'blindness' is a self-centeredness ... a 'self-indulgence' that doesn't want to see something different. I'm so trapped in myself that I can't see that there is a person out there. When someone or something different 'affects' us, we become uncomfortable and walk around the other side.

Jesus was affected by people .... he saw people.

- He didn't see objects to be saved,

- He didn't see objects to be healed,

- He didn't see questions to be answered....

He saw people. And he was influenced by people. Jesus was drawn to them and they drew something of the Kingdom of God out of him. Jesus took on 'flesh and blood' and the 'flesh and blood' of people in their need and with their problems spoke to him.

Somehow we can't step out of our skin to see our neighbor ... to see who they are. The Samaritan did it... he saw a neighbor and took pity on him. He climbed out of his skin and was affected by what he saw! If you really SEE somebody and open your eyes to them, you're going to be AFFECTED by what you SEE.

Something must be drawn out of us if we really 'see' and are affected by people ... 'touched' by them. If we really open our eyes, it does something to us that causes us to respond – when you really look, you become changed.

There are 'Samaritans' who walk into a crowded room and after fifteen minutes in that room anyone who has a problem, a difficulty, a pain, gravitates to them and in no time are pouring out their hearts. And it's because that person listens ... that person hears ... that person sees.

They not only see, but they are affected by what they see.... they care.

We often wonder why Jesus had such good 'answers' for people. Why did Jesus know exactly what to say to one person ... exactly how to respond to another person, and know exactly how to heal another person? It's because he was affected .... he had compassion. He just wasn't throwing out healings, he was drawn by a need and that healing manifested itself because he was being obedient to God and because he was in touch with those people who were around him. It was a one-on-one thing. And that's what being a neighbor is ... it's one-on-one.

- I don't believe we can love our neighbor in mass.

- I don't believe we can love 'everybody.'

If we want to love in a biblical sense we can love on-on-one, because love requires that I come out of my skin and am affected by this person who is in my path. I don't go around them. I am moved by them, and engaged by them to respond and act.

- I should be moved by my spouse even though 'I don't understand'.....

- I should be moved by my children and 'their concerns'.

- I should be moved by great pain....

- I should be moved by a great difference of opinion in someone.... by their passion .... that should move me. To tolerate is to ignore. Jesus was moved ... he was AFFECTED. And because of that he was able to give.

So what does the Samaritan do? He ACTS. He bandages the man, puts him on his donkey, takes him to the inn and does what is necessary. It sounds pretty simple, but he gave this man what was needed...

- because his eyes were open,

- because he was moved and affected by what he saw.

He didn't put a band aid on him and say, "I'll see you later," or read a Psalm to him. He gave this man what he needed. Perhaps the reasons we're so weak in giving what is needed ... the 'right' word, ... a healing ... the right touch from God, is because we aren't really aware of what's going on. We just don't allow ourselves to see and be affected. This Samaritan saw and was affected and he moved in a way that took care of the problem. This is what Jesus does ... and what he calls us to do ... to be affected in a way that we take care of' the things that he gives us to do.

Think in terms of evangelism. Sometimes we're angry with people because they don't understand the religious jargon we use. We're talking to someone about heaven and hell and they don't even believe in God! We're angry with them for that when we really haven't taken them seriously ... we haven't given them respect. So we become unable to touch them with the Kingdom of God. Jesus would have had words for them because he would have taken them seriously. The Samaritan would have something for them ... and we can have something too.

Many times we are 'moved' by the wrong things ... our;

- guilty conscience,

- need to 'do something',

- nervousness,

- need to show people our good intentions,

is our inability to see and be moved by the 'real problems', an underlying lack of respect for people and who they really are.

And seeing the 'real problem' doesn't mean we become overwhelmed and compelled to act in a hundred different directions. Do one thing, clearly, in front of you and with serious care ... that's all!

The last thing the Samaritan did was to make sure that the wounded man got the care he needed. He made sure this man was looked after ... he followed through. Sometimes when we do things ..... we just don't FOLLOW THROUGH. We do it and it's done. "God wanted me to do this,".... I did it ... and I'm done. We don't go back and examine the results of our actions.

We speak a word about Jesus to someone....

- did it confuse them?....

- did they even understand it?

If we're talking to an atheist about God, we have to go back and find out what they really understood. Maybe they were nodding their head, but didn't hear one thing we said ... we have to follow through. If you respect this person at all ... see him as a neighbor ... you have to be sure they understood what you said ... that they received something.

If you plan a big project to revitalize Southwest Detroit, in ten years look back, see what really happened with your project. I think we need to do that because we live in a day that is conditioned by television, by ideals, by 'mass' movements, for whatever good cause. Sometimes these movements ... in the name of ;

- "God",

- "good intentions",

- "the people" … "the worker",

- "the greatest good",

- "love",

end up trampling over and devouring the people right around them, or even those they aim to help. And it's because we miss our neighbor ... we miss seeing people on-on-one. We don't see the one person God has put right before us and in our path.

"Which one of these three was the neighbor to the man who fall into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."

This expert in the law began to SEE in this little story ... Jesus opened this man's eyes. He needed to be AFFECTED by what he saw and to act in a way appropriate to what's going on with the person that God sent his way ... and then to FOLLOW THROUGH and to have a commitment to what's been done and to what's been said.

Then Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

There are some things we can't analyze in the Kingdom ... we can't sit back and figure out who our neighbor is. If we give ourselves to God we will understand what it means to love our neighbor. If we open ourselves ... surrender ourselves to our neighbor, we will understand what it means to be a neighbor.

We end our service with, "Go in peace, serve the Lord." This is a command! A command to disperse the clouds and the fog we often find ourselves in; the fog of an 'expert', so befuddled by ideas and ideals that we can neither see God nor our neighbor who is right in front of us.

So Jesus, in his mercy, commands us, "Go and do likewise. Do these things. See your neighbor ... be affected … drawn to ... interested ... open to what they are, and act in a way that responds to them"…

.... then .... see what happens.