Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Give Us This Day

Home
Evangelical
Wednesday of 5th Sunday in Trinity

Wednesday of 5th Sunday in Trinity

Last updated on: July 28, 2011 at 5:10 pm by Guest Contributor

Wednesday of 5th Sunday in Trinity 2011-07-28T17:10:33-05:00 Guest Contributor

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Luke 10:25-37

It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood,

A beautiful day for a neighbor.

Would you be mine?

Could you be mine?…

Please won’t you be my neighbor?

Hi neighbor!

Perhaps no one more than Fred Rogers, Mr. Rogers, has made us all aware of the idea of being a neighbor. Mr. Rogers had a certain friendly charm that invited people into his TV neighborhood. But sitting safely at home, watching the TV, may not by itself make us better neighbors. I find that it’s all too easy to be a “virtual” neighbor. Some of us might actually prefer the take of Robert Frost’s neighbor: “Fences make good neighbors.”

But the deepest wisdom about being a neighbor, as always, comes from Jesus Himself.

We’re all familiar with the parable of the Good Samaritan – so familiar that we might miss its true sharp edge. The whole point of Jesus’ parable is to turn the tables on the lawyer’s justification of himself. The real question is not “Who is my neighbor?” but “Whose Neighbor Am I?”

“Which of these 3 was neighbor?” Jesus asks in verse 36. The bald fact this morning is that Jesus is calling you to love your neighbor – by being a neighbor. And remember: no trying to put a hat or toupee on the bald fact! Instead, you’re to confront it.

Maybe you’re being called today to help someone you meet with a physical, emotional, or spiritual need. Maybe you’re being called to tell someone about the love and salvation that faith in Jesus Christ brings. Or maybe you’re to be a neighbor to someone in your church by teaching them more about life in Jesus Christ. All of these, and many more, are ways of showing love; all are ways of becoming a neighbor and loving your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus wants you to put yourself into this story – that’s the point. But we need to transport you from the road to Jericho and the story of the Good Samaritan and to your own life. Instead of trying to remain in 1st century Israel, you should imagine a typical day in your life. Imagine the roads that people take which intersect with your life, even if those roads are just the ones in your own house.

As you imagine a typical day in your life and the people whose paths cross yours, you might need to keep flipping to a series of different “typical” days until you find one that has someone in it to whom God is calling you to be a neighbor. So imagine a typical day. Who do you come across in that day? As you gaze intently at the faces of the people you meet, do you discern that any of them have particular needs that you are aware of? Keep imagining until you find someone that you know God is asking you to be a neighbor to.

When you come across this person, consider if your response is more like that of the Levite and priest or that of the Samaritan. What excuses do you find yourself making so that you don’t have to love your neighbor as yourself? They’re not likely to be exactly like those of the Levite or priest, but maybe they’ll be something like:

“I’m too busy”
“But I don’t know how”
“That’s not my gift or calling”
“I know someone else will come and do it”
“Someone else can do this better than I can (that’s why we have pastors)”
“I’ve got to do for myself first”
“I’ll miss my game”
“She doesn’t deserve it”
“No one ever stops and helps me”
“It’s not my responsibility”

If you can’t find one person in your imagination whom God is asking you to love as a neighbor, then stay tuned: He’ll probably send you more than one today in real life.

If you need a little more inspiration and encouragement to love your neighbor as yourself, remember that you’re also all in this story in another, more dramatic way. For, you see, each of you is the man who fell among thieves, was stripped, wounded, and left for dead. Each of you is also the person in desperate need of help.

And the Good Samaritan in your life is Jesus Christ, who had compassion on you – when your relationship with God was stolen by sin, when you were stripped of your human dignity, and when you were dead in your sins before God.

But Jesus Christ chose to become your neighbor: He moved into your life, out of love, even when you were helpless and unlovable. He had compassion on all your sins and weaknesses, and He has offered you His love to heal you.

And now Jesus, who acted as your neighbor, says to you all: Go and do likewise.

Prayer: Father, thank You for sending Your Son to love me as Himself, when I was stripped and wounded and left for dead. By Your love, in sending Your Son, and by His love in coming to me, may I go and love those you have placed in my life today. Amen.

Point for Meditation: Make sure you have spent adequate time meditating on your daily life and the opportunities to love others.

Resolution: I resolve to seek and find one way today to love my neighbor as myself.

Give Us This Day

give us this day

Previous Post

May 1, 2011

The Rev. Paul S. Howden Testimonial

Next Post

July 29, 2011 Friday of Trinity 5

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Book Reviews Featured Give Us This Day Give Us This Day Devotional love me love my wife Love My Wife Reformed Catholicism Blog Spirit-Reality Take This Cup Uncategorized

Select a Month February 2022 November 2021 October 2021 August 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 September 2018 July 2018 March 2018 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which Psalm is famous as the "Shepherd's Psalm"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Psalm 119 Psalm 1 Psalm 23 Psalm 51