PENTECOST VII
July 19, 2020
“And Who Is My Neighbor?”
As we take time every week to focus on scripture, learn together and share our thoughts, we begin to clearly see the skill with which Jesus taught the essential lessons for those who call themselves Christians. The parables relate so well to everyday life and the understanding of human nature continues to resonate over the centuries. The unwavering love of a father for his immature, selfish (prodigal) son and the obvious good neighborliness of the Samaritan are two of the best-known that still resonate today. The dictionary definition of a neighbor ranges from “a person who lives near another” to “one’s fellow human beings.” Jesus certainly didn’t consider one’s neighbor to be only the people who live next door or across the street. The parable of the Good Samaritan came about when a lawyer asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus did what he did so well, as he answered that question with another question, “What is written in the law?” The lawyer responded with the admonition to love God and neighbor, and then asked, “And who is my neighbor?” It sounds as if he was playing “gotcha,” hoping to catch Jesus in a contradiction or a mistake. But by the time Jesus finished telling the parable, the definition of a neighbor was obvious, and the lawyer found himself answering his own question, the point clearly made. (Look it up: Luke 10:29-37) Do you remember hearing this story as a youngster? We practically booed the men who didn’t help the injured traveler, and cheered the kind man who did. From young ages on, we knew exactly who was the good neighbor and what he did to deserve that title. However, there is another, more subtle layer in this deceptively simple narrative. As a Samaritan, the traveler was considered undesirable and low-class, unwelcome in the land through which he was traveling, so here is Jesus making a point of casting an unpopular individual as the hero in the story. It was the outsider who showed compassion, rather than the man’s fellow citizens. Hmmmm. Christ was sent into this world for all people, for all time, and his teachings and saving love are not for only a select few. The Apostle Paul spoke of maintaining the unity of the Spirit, using our varied gifts to build up one another and the church. (Ephesians 4:1-6). Martin Luther spoke of “vocation,” meaning that all who are baptized have been called by God to serve our neighbors, both individually and as members of congregations and groups. Our neighbors both here at home and around the world are suffering and frightened, facing a worldwide health crisis, seeking justice and fairness for all people, and carrying personal burdens we don’t even know about. We pray for them, do whatever is within our abilities to relieve their pain and hardships, and, with our brothers and sisters in Christ, answer the call to serve.
Loving all the good neighbors,
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers