Be My Neighbor
Read This Week: Luke 10
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply, Jesus said: A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” – Luke 10:30-37 NIV
One of the most beloved figures in American life in the 20th century was a television host, author, and Presbyterian minister named Fred Rogers. He was best known as Mr. Rogers and was famous for his vulnerable style, kindness, and grace in his treatment of people and demeanor in the series Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. He was an inspiration to so many young and old and was an example of humanity. Mr. Rogers genuinely loved people, and he wanted everyone to feel like and be his neighbor. The show would always start with an endearing tune and words sung by Fred that went like this:
I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you
So let’s make the most of this beautiful day,
Since we’re together, we might as well say,
Would you be mine? Could you be mine?
Won’t you be my neighbor?
When you heard that song, you believed that Mr. Rogers wanted you to be his neighbor. Jesus wanted His followers in Luke 10 and those today to make people feel the same way. He desires Christians to be so sincere, loving and inviting that others want to be their neighbor. Jesus illustrates this to an expert of the law who wanted to justify himself, and asked Him, “And who is my neighbor?” The Lord does not give him a blanket definition but instead communicates what a neighbor is through the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
In this parable, Jesus teaches the characteristics of someone who is not neighborly and reinforces and highlights the traits of one who is. The man who is robbed, beaten, and left on the side of the road in the story provides an opportunity for three different people to be his neighbor, but only one, the Samaritan makes good on it. Only the Good Samaritan expresses a heart of a person that loves their neighbor as themselves.
Verse 31 tells us that the first person to see the man lying beaten on the side of the road is a priest, and his response was to pass by on the other side. Verse 32 shows that the Levite that saw him next had the same reaction to literally walking around him on the opposite side of the road. But the Samaritan happens by, and this was his response in verses 33-34:
He saw him, and he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
The priest and the Levite approached their neighbor with apathy, lethargy, and a chilling lack of empathy toward him and his condition. They were non-compassionate, unloving, and seemingly indifferent as they made an effort only to avoid helping him.
The Samaritan, on the other hand, saw the man and chose to act with compassion and mercy. He recognized his predicament and situation and was willing to be the one to meet his needs. He expressed empathy, acted, and took care of him. The Samaritan was not limited by his feelings, background, or culture. The seeming inconvenience of the man’s plight did not deter the Samaritan from being a good neighbor.
May we take our cue from the Bible and the Parable of the Good Samaritan when it comes to being a neighbor to those around us. May we be aware of the needs of others and show mercy and compassion when there are opportunities to serve, respond, and care. May the Holy Spirit empower us with the loving heart of God so that we can say to the world with our words, actions, and service, I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you, could you be mine? Won’t you be my neighbor?
This week, God gave me a song in Luke 10 called “Rejoice”:
Let’s rejoice, let’s rejoice, let’s rejoice in the name of our Father
Glory to the one in the highest!
We are thanking you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth
Giving us peace on earth and bringing us together to honor You.
We are trusting in You through all things
We rejoice, rejoice, we rejoice in the Holy Spirit!
Glorified in your name and being fulfilled in the Holy Spirit
Bringing peace, joy, and comfort in your name, Jesus. Amen.
Our Lord is so amazing that He can give us peace in the middle of a storm. Just remember as his child, all we have to do is have faith and talk to him. He will help us if we just give it to him. We might not always get what we want but maybe we will get it later.
We always know He is working things out. He is always with us 24/7. Thank you, God.
I love this, Alma. It reads like a modern-day psalm. I can almost imagine this line coming from Asaph, the Levite worship leader:
We are thanking you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth
Giving us peace on earth and bringing us together to honor You.
This causes the heart to sing and rejoice in the truth of God’s word and character and the peace that He brings to us on earth amid all of our daily routines, trials, and struggles. We can’t help but honor and worship Him.
This Week in the Life: Luke 10
For the best experience, we suggest that you listen to the first song, then the message, and then the second song.
1. Sunday Worship: https://reachchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022-0522-Worship1.wav
2. Sunday Message: https://reachchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022-0522-Message.wav
3. Sunday Worship: https://reachchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022-0522-Worship2.wav
This week we were in Luke 10 and I’ve been talking to my Father a lot about verse 5 and being welcome in a home. Verse 5 says, “Whatever house you may enter, first say, Peace be to this household! [Freedom from all the distressed that result from sin be with this family].”
What God said to me about this verse was that I would love for your home to resemble a church. Not the home of a sad person, but to be inviting to all that pass by. With an open door to anyone in need. If you need shelter come inside, if someone is hungry the table is set.
If you need rest your bed is ready. In need of love, know my Father dwells with you in my home. So I say this is your home. All I ask is when you leave, Please take a part of its love for other’s with you.
And what that means to me is that our bodies are our fathers house and His temple. We are not to stand still in one place to praise and worship Him. We are here to due His work and to take our house to as many people in need as He leads us.
I am really blessed by your commentary on verse 5 of chapter 10, Sam. I think God gave you a really deep and unique word on being a neighbor and how that syncs with the command for our bodies to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. this was a powerful section:
If you need rest your bed is ready. In need of love, know my Father dwells with you in my home. So I say this is your home. All I ask is when you leave, Please take a part of its love for others with you.
It makes sense that if we’re called to honor and glorify God with our bodies then that should translate into the way we treat our neighbors and everyone we come in contact with. We can transform any place (especially our homes) into a place of love, comfort, provision, and worship as we seek to honor God with our lives.
Prayer is important in the work of evangelism. I am calling you to go out and bring others to Me. The more you hear My truth, and the more you see Me move, the more you are accountable for. You are one of My representatives. If you boldly do what I am telling you to do, you will be blessed in ways, far more than you can imagine.
I want you to always see, what I did for you, is always far greater than what you do for Me. Do My work knowing that I will be your strength, and I will bring help and provision to you. Love Me with all that you are. The same way you take care of yourself, you should take care and have concerns for the interest of others.
Don’t wait to be asked to help someone; if you see a need in front of you, help them. How do you receive eternal life? Believe in Jesus; trust Me that Jesus paid the penalty you deserve. My life in you will give you the resources to love Him and others in a much better way. Don’t become distracted, and take your eyes off Jesus. Sit at His feet, and spend time with Him. It shows you are ready to accept and obey what He teaches, and it shows submission, faith, and love.
What this said to me is I need to take the time to not be distracted, and sit at Jesus’s feet, listening to His word, obeying it, loving on others, and bringing others to Him. He puts people in front of me, who need help, and I represent His love by helping them.
This is wonderful, Kathy. There is an often overlooked part of evangelism and soul care of others and that is for the evangelist and caregiver to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and underwritten by prayer and worship. That is where the power comes from to reach other people with the gospel and to love them as Jesus did. This part was really impactful:
Do My work knowing that I will be your strength, and I will bring help and provision to you. Love Me with all that you are. In the same way, you take care of yourself, you should take care and have concerns for the interest of others.
Luke 10: 2 He was saying to them, “The harvest is abundant [for there are many who need to hear the good news about salvation], but the workers [those available to proclaim the message of salvation] are few. Therefore, [prayerfully] ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest. 3 Go your way; listen carefully: I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.
We have learned that God knows everything so why do we need to pray? Prayer is talking to God, listening to what His agenda is, Do your part, get His instructions because they are important and then be apart of His mission because the labors are few. Maybe someone prayed for you, hoping you would become apart of the family of God, that you would have a change of heart, that you would be transformed. Then you would desire to be a worker For the kingdom of God.
The ministry, the mission, a worker for the harvest is for everyone, those who opened up their hearts to Jesus. If that’s you I hear God saying keep your eyes open, your spiritual ears open because someone needs to hear the good news, the one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me. So guard your heart, be prepared, because their will be rejection, don’t let anything or anyone take you down. continue to have joy in your heart, that comes from worship, and spending time with Me.
Always remember it’s a daily relationship with Me, as we walk together you’ll Have My peace, so go out and share the good news, for those who want it will feel My peace and My Love too.
Thank you Father God that I get to be apart of Your Ministry, I (pray) I’m asking that I get to be apart of bringing in more labors, children, messengers, servants for Your kingdom, and thank you that I get to be a part of something, even if it’s small I’m grateful, I love you with my whole heart
This is such a good word, Heidi. I sense a theme in these comments on the blog and that is the devotion and worship of the believer are so important to the expression and outflow of the gospel and care for others. This part really brought this important idea together:
“Always remember it’s a daily relationship with Me. As we walk together, you’ll have My peace. So go out and share the good news, for those who want it, will feel My peace and My Love too.”
The daily walk with God fuels and underwrites the mission. We are so much more equipped, empowered, and ready to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world when we are close to Him and in His word. The expression to our neighbor of God’s love, hope, and peace is the direct result of our devotion to Him first.