When asked by a lawyer, "What shall we do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 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.” (Luke 10:25-27)
I think we get the idea of this per se, most of us do anyway. Love your neighbor, that means the person living next door right? Yes but I think there is more. You see, this scripture goes on with the Parable of the Good Samaritan. If you have ever been in church or Sunday school you might be familiar with it.
“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. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 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.
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.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
Usually, when this Parable is taught you get a pretty good analogy of what is happening. Let me bring you a little deeper if I may. Here's a more contemporary version.
“A politician was traveling from Texas to Washington D.C., and he got jumped at a rest area by some thugs, who stripped him and beat him and left him half dead in a ditch. Now by chance, a traveler was going down that road, and when he saw him he sped away. So likewise, a family when they drove by and saw him, passed him by as well. But an undocumented worker, who was returning from working on the farm, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and put bandages on his wounds cleaning them with his water. Then he loaded him up into the back of his pickup truck and drove him to the closest emergency room."
It is hard to love some of our neighbors. Especially the ones that you don't like or the aggravating, rude and I could go on and on. The neighbor who mows his lawn at 7 am on your day off? The person who takes your parking spot at the shopping center? The politician that you don't agree with? The people trying to enter your country who have values that are different than yours?
"For whoever does not love their brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. (1 John 4:20) "Cannot love God?" Strong words.
In this scripture "cannot" refers to opportunity not your ability. Refusing to love your brother, sister, or neighbor is the same as relinquishing your opportunity to love God. Whoever does not love someone they can see, cannot love God whom they cannot see. (1 John 4:20) Refusing to actually love a brother or sister is the same as refusing to love God.
So with Thanksgiving approaching, as we start to reflect on what we should be thankful for, let's reflect on how we can show our love to God by loving our neighbor. Even the ones that we don't want to.
Blessings and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
