Like a good neighbor, I should be there....
"And who is my neighbor?" This is a great question asked by the expert in the law, to Jesus, in our New Testament reading. I've read the story of the "Good Samaritan" so many times yet I still find that I tend to only look at my neighbor as: those living near me in my neighborhood, people I work with, parents of my kids friends, those from church, pretty much people who are a regular part (or become a regular part of my life and routine). But Jesus challenges my thoughts on who my neighbor is with this familiar story of the "Good Samaritan". Theses two men, the beaten and the Samaritan, don't seem to have any connection. Both men seem to have chosen to walk the same path on the same day with no intention of ever meeting the other. If the beaten man is indeed a Jew then the two of them are enemies, the Samaritan would have been considered an unwanted outcast by the beaten man. Two different lives that don't appear to have any reason to ever interact. This is not the picture that comes to mind of what a "neighbor" is, yet is the picture Christ is telling me I need to have.
So this new (or broader) picture that Christ has painted for me now causes me to sit here and ask him, "And who is my neighbor today lord?" Who is it that God wants me to see, to come along side of, to support, to show mercy to, to love, to encourage, to aide, to forgive, to comfort, to show grace to, to listen to, to share with, to yield to, to humble myself before, to put before my needs, to give to, to sacrifice for? I know that my eyes will want to look for the one who I feel deserves my help as a neighbor. God, on the other hand, is showing me that I need to look also for the undeserving, the one who hurts me, the one who may not appreciate it, the one who may tell me they don't need or want it, the one who always seems to be able to do it themselves, the selfish, the arrogant, the enemy. God wants me to be merciful, loving and gracious to ALL because that is exactly what he has shown to me. It's what I needed before I knew I did and what was there for my blessing without me having to ask.
Today, as I should be everyday, I am challenged to keep my eyes open to all the "neighbor's" whom God will place in my path and with whom he wants me to show love, mercy and grace to. I pray that God will give me the strength to help those who may not be easy to help or those I may not feel inclined to help. I don't want to be like the priest or Levite and pass by those whom I have an opportunity to show the light of Christ to. I want to be a neighbor to everyone with whom God gives me the opportunity. I want to have a heart that desires to serves anyone and everyone who God puts on my path today. By God's grace and Christ's strength I will be equipped and able to be the neighbor God is calling me to be today. I encourage you to be ready and ask the Lord, "And who is my neighbor today?"
No comments:
Post a Comment