Love Your Neighbor

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself
Luke 10: 25-28 (September 28, 2008)

1) The Text

25Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 27He 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.” 28And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

2) The Context

The parable of the Good Samaritan which follows this text, is the fifth episode in a group of six dealing with the meaning and acceptance of the kingdom's message (Luke 9:51-10:42). The long awaited kingdom of God has dawned in the person of Jesus. God, in his kindness has freely offered entry into the kingdom; we need only ask Jesus. This offer from God is proclaimed for all to hear and those who believe are blessed. Yet beware, kingdom membership is neither gained, nor maintained, by obedience to the law. Our passage exposes the heresy of nomism that had infested second temple Judaism. Religious Jews of the day believed that by obedience to the law they were able to maintain their standing before God and thus guarantee their place in heaven.

Of course, the law itself proclaims the opposite in that the law's prime purpose is to expose sin. The law serves to expose human corruption and its consequence, namely, divine judgment, and thus drive us to God for mercy. The "expert in the law" was obviously dulled to this function of the law, since he saw himself as a good law-keeper. Yet, this religious Jew did not need a legal definition for "neighbour", he needed to act in a neighbourly way (with mercy, love) to inherit eternal life. The problem was he had never loved as the Samaritan loved, nor could he. In the parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus confronts the "expert in the law" with full weight of the law and thus leaves him without excuse. It is from such gospel stories that the apostle Paul builds his doctrine of justification, "my gospel" - the divine gift of righteousness, of right standing before God, neither gained, nor maintained, by obedience to the law, but as a gift of grace appropriated through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

3) Interpretation

“Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25) the lawyer asks Jesus. The entire interaction between Jesus and the lawyer stands on this question, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Even the parable of the Good Samaritan later in Luke, though it might not seem this way, hinges on this question.

Since the lawyer asked for a list of things to do in order to be declared worthy to inherit eternal life, Jesus points him to the list. “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” (Luke 10:26). In other words, how do Moses and the prophets answer this question? How does the Law direct you to attain eternal life? “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 10:27). “You have answered rightly,” Jesus answers (Luke 10:28). This list is unattainable. No one can accomplish this list. But, “Do this and you shall live” (Luke 10:28).

The lawyer wants to know who his neighbor is so that he can be justified in believing that he loved his neighbor. Therefore, he might have expected Jesus to tell a story about a gracious and kind Jew who went out and found a poor Samaritan lying on the street and cared for the Samaritan. He might have expected Jesus to tell the story of a Jew being kind and gracious to someone else, especially another Jew.

Jesus tells the story of a man, probably a Jew, who is cared for by a Samaritan. A Samaritan. How can he be a neighbor? Or, perhaps, how can I be a neighbor to a Samaritan? Samaritans desecrated the Temple by throwing human bones into its courts. They are heretics and schismatics, the worst of the worst. How can I be a neighbor to this man? How can I love those who believe such erroneous things? How can I? You can't.

Jesus reversed the question. Instead of asking “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus wants you to realize He is the neighbor. Jesus asks, “Which of these was the man's neighbor?” because Jesus wants the lawyer to know that Jesus is the neighbor. He can't love others as himself. You can't love others as yourself either, because you are the one lying beaten and broken next to the road.

The Old Testament prophets foretold of the One who would come to bind up the wounds of Israel and to heal her of her transgressions. He would pay the price and more, whatever was required to care for her and heal her. This Christ has done. He is the real neighbor. He is the Good Samaritan. Jesus has seen you lying in the ditch. He has seen you stripped, naked, beaten, and half–dead. Seeing you in this condition, He felt gut–wrenching pain and had compassion on you. The word literally means to feel pain as though your insides were coming out. In response to this gut–wrenching compassion, He knelt down and bound up your wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He lifted you up on his very own donkey, taking you to the nearest inn and paying all that is needed for you to be healed.

Therefore, loving God and loving the neighbor flows naturally from a heart of faith. Faith receives this love and forgiveness from God, and then, it freely flows into the neighbor. We don't love the neighbor in order to earn heaven. Our goodness is done for the neighbor because of the goodness God has done for us.

“Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25) the lawyer asked. As a lawyer, he should have known that an inheritance is not something you earn. An inheritance is given by virtue of who you are. Your children do not gain their inheritance, because they earned it. They gain the inheritance, because they are your children. You have been given the inheritance. “For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise” (Galatians 3:18). So, also, God gives you the inheritance by His gracious promise, and you receive it by faith for Christ's sake.

4) Thought Exercise

How can we build our faith in Jesus to better love our neighbors as ourselves?

The Leading and the Resources

The Leading and the Resources
Exodus 16: 2-15 (September 21, 2008)

1) The Text

2The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” 4Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. 5On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.” 6So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?” 8And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lord has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but” against the Lord.

9Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, ‘Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.’“ 10And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11The Lord spoke to Moses and said, 12“I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’“

13In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat."

2) The Context

In the description in the Book of Exodus, manna is described as appearing each morning after the dew had gone, while in the description in the Book of Numbers, manna arrived with the dew during the night; the Book of Exodus adds that manna was comparable to hoarfrost in size, and similarly had to be collected before it was melted by the heat of the sun. According to the Biblical description, manna resembled coriander seed; in the Book of Exodus, manna is described as being white in color, while the Book of Numbers describes it as being the same color as bdellium (an aromatic gum like myrrh that is exuded from a tree). According to the Book of Numbers, the Israelites ground it up and pounded it into cakes, which were then baked, resulting in something that tasted like olive oil; the Book of Exodus states that it tasted like wafers that had been made with honey. The Israelites were instructed to only eat the manna they had gathered for each day, for leftovers or storing any up for the following day resulted in manna that "bred worms and stank". The exception to this occurrence was the day before the Sabbath when twice the amount of manna was gathered, which did not spoil overnight.


3) Interpretation

The great affirmation of the people in Exodus 14:31 is not carried through, in that they believed, having seen how God rescued them from Egypt, but not enough to trust God when things get hard (Exodus 15:22-25, 16:1-36). Certainly, it would be scary in the wilderness if food was scarce, but it didn't take long for the murmurings to start with a very one-sided memory of Egypt. Moses confronts them with the fact that their murmurings are not against he and Aaron but against the Lord. This is their greatest sin, their lack of trust in God. Again, this provision of food from God will remind them who rescued them from Egypt.

At the point the people turn towards the glory of the Lord in the wilderness, they turn their faces away from Egypt. They needed to refocus on what was the important thing in their lives as we do at times when our focus in is other directions. The wilderness which began to feel to the Israelites as a place of death has become a place in which God nurtures and cares for them. It is interesting to reflect how the constant themes of God as redeemer and creator are present in these passages.

As Christians we are aware that this need to know who we are in the midst of a pluralistic society is just as crucial for us today. However, as people are finding there have to be a variety of ways to meet and know where we have come from and where we are going, not simply rely on Sunday worship. While Exodus 16:31-36 is not part of the reading, the keeping of the manna for future testimony to the presence of God, has parallels in our communion in which the bread and wine are testimony to the presence of God in the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The naturalness of the manna and quail is testimony to how God is present in the ordinary. We can easily forget about God who is present in the ordinary as well as in the miraculous. However, in the case of the wilderness neither the quail nor the manna were present before the people complained to Moses and Aaron, and their appearance and instructions regarding the amount to be taken come into the area of the miraculous.

People sometimes seem to feel like they are in a wilderness. They long to return to the good ole days. God ignores the wilderness wanderers’ similar longings and, instead, gives them instructions and substance by which at least to survive the rest of their journey. Surely, this passage promises us the same blessings. When we experience what we think we need, God leads us on and supplies us with resources to continue. When we think it’s time to throw in the towel, God has other and far better ideas about going on. God provides for us the leading and the resources for continuing. God promises to provide the where with all to keep on keeping on. Providence means God leads us on and supplies us with what we need to carry on.


4) Thought Exercise

How does God lead and provide resources to you in your life?

How does God lead and provide resources to our congregation?

The Amen of Action

The Amen of Action
Exodus 14: 10-22 (September 14, 2008)

1) The Text

10As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the Lord. 11They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? 12Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, ‘Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. 14The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.”

15Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. 16But you lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground. 17Then I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and so I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his chariot drivers. 18And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot drivers.” 19The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them. 20It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night.

21Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. 22The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.

2) The Context

Exodus is the second book of the Old Testament, and is part of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. Jews refer to these books as "The Torah". At times, they are referred to as "The Law", although "Torah" means teaching. Exodus centers on the rescue of God's chosen people from captivity in Egypt and the making of the great covenant, or agreement with God, at Mount Sinai.

3) Interpretation

One of the most powerful prayers in all of Scripture is one that has no words, no vocal sounds. It is not a meditation, but rather a prayer that is nothing more than the sound of a footstep. It is the amen of action. Moses and the children of Israel have left Egypt. They stand before the Sea of Reeds and suddenly they hear the sounds of the Egyptian army led by Pharoah himself. Moses confidently tells them to watch and see how God will save them. But with the sound of the Egyptians coming closer and closer, God responds to Moses with these words: Mah Tizak Alai, Why do you cry out to me? Tell the people to walk forward.

So the answer to their prayers was to walk into the water. The people were expecting God to respond to their prayers by acting on their behalf. God’s answer was for the people to be participants in the fulfillment of their own prayers! The sound of their step is the human response to the prayers we address to God—it is the amen of action.

Too often, we think that a prayer is merely a verbal exercise. We offer God praise as an introduction to our wish list for the week. Can you hear the words that God spoke to Moses now addressed to each of us? Mah Tizak Alai, Why do you cry out to me? Go and respond to your own prayer, take a step into the unknown, take a risk and see what will happen.

Prayer is not a spectator sport. Prayer is a covenantal exercise, in which we work with God to find the answers that we seek. The lesson that Moses learned at the shore of the Sea of Reeds, reminds us that prayer can and should be a prelude to action. Salvation comes when people are willing to respond to their own prayer with the amen of action, inspired by the faith that teaches that we will not walk alone.

We take not leaps of faith, but rather leaps of action. The story of Moses and the Children of Israel is the story of our own lives. Who among us has not felt overwhelmed by the challenges that threaten to wash over us? They may be personal issues: matters of health, finance, or family. They may be more global concerns, hunger, war, a Tsunami, or evil in the world. The situations that we face are no less grave than that of Moses and the Children of Israel standing at the shore of the sea with water on one side and the Egyptian army on the other. The only question is whether we can begin the fulfillment of our own prayers by taking action, with the faith and confidence that God will be at our side.

The stories of our lives may not be as dramatic as the splitting of the sea, or as well known. But that does not mean that God is any less concerned about us than the people of Moses’ time. God’s words to Moses continue to echo throughout the generations unto our own time. Mah Tizhak Alai, Why do you cry out to me? Tell the people to walk forward. That is God’s answer to us today as well.

Muster the same courage, the same faith and the same vision as did Moses’ generation and walk forward knowing that God will walk at our side. Be a participant in your own destiny, and along with God, help to form the amen of action.

4) Thought Exercise

How can we use prayer to engage with God and seek answers to our questions and concerns?

How can we become better participants in the fulfillment of our own prayers?