In Luke 10, an expert in the law asks Jesus what one must do to inherit eternal life. In true Jesus fashion, Christ responds with a question of His own: “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” (vs 26) In other words, you know the scriptures, what do you think it says?
The expert replies, “‘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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (vs 27)
Jesus praises this man’s astute answer, but that’s not where the story ends…
The expert in the law may have all the right answers in a discussion about faith and scripture, but he’s having a harder time living it out. Wanting to feel justified by the way he treats people, and perhaps wanting to know if his good deeds are in fact good enough, he asks Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (vs 29)
This loaded question becomes the catalyst for Jesus’ story of the Good Samaritan. And spoiler alert for those who aren’t familiar with how this classic teaching of Jesus’ ends… the neighbor turns out to be anyone we see in need of some help.
That’s a whole lot of people you and I get to call our neighbors. If there’s anything to be said about the human race, it is that we are all in need of some help in one way or another.
If the need is so great, the opportunities to help are so endless, and the command to do so is so vital… Why do we, like the expert in the law, struggle so often to love our neighbors?
And what would happen if followers of Jesus around the world deeply loved their neighbors? Not just said they did, but actually did.
Okay, not even the world… What could happen to the neighborhood you live in, if you and every other Christian neighbor committed to actively and consistently loving the people on your street?
What type of authentic community would form? What type of relationships would develop that cross political, economical, cultural and religious divides? How many single moms would feel like they aren’t all alone in raising their children? How many widows or widowers wouldn’t feel isolated? What young people would be mentored and believed in? What type of financial stability would the people on your street have if they knew when they lost their job and were unsure of how to pay for groceries, the Christians on their street had their back? How would those far from God receive salvation if they experienced disciples of Jesus living like He did the best they could?
I’m challenged. So very deeply challenged to stop talking about loving my neighbor, and actually just do it. I have a feeling you are, too.
In order to commit to loving our neighbors, we must first address some of the reasons it’s so hard. Here’s a few that come to the top of the list…
1. We aren’t abiding in God’s love for us.
It’s hard to give to others what we don’t have to give. If we find ourselves overly-critical of others, avoiding interactions with others, easily irritated or offended by others… then we must ask ourselves whether or not we are living in God’s love for us. We are only able to truly love our neighbor because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19) Loving others isn’t meant to be accomplished by our own sheer willpower or good intentions. We must rely on the Holy Spirit and give from the deep well of God’s unending and unfailing love towards us.
2. We have less face-to-face interactions with people.
In the not-too-distant past, if you wanted to function in society, you had to interact with others daily. You had to go to the grocery store and stand in a checkout line for food. You had to get in your car, drive to your workplace, and share an office with other coworkers. You had to go to a mall and shop in-person for clothes. You had to pick up your takeout order at the restaurant.
Not anymore. Depending on your season of life and profession, you could go a whole day or more without having to interact with colleagues, acquaintances, and strangers. This may improve our level of comfort and convenience, but it certainly hasn’t improved our compassion.
With less live interactions with others, we are losing the art of getting to know new people, preferring strangers, and appreciating our differences.
Add to the mix how easy it is to attack people on social media that we don’t understand or agree with, and it’s a recipe for a growing apathy, intolerance and even hatred for our neighbors.
We need to be willing to get out of our comfort zones to engage with our neighbors… because how can we love people we don’t even know how to have a face-to-face conversation with?
3. We are too busy.
We are running at such a quick (and likely unsustainable) pace in our lives, that we simply don’t have the margin to care much about our neighbors. We are always in such a rush to get out the door that we simply can’t spare 5 minutes of small talk with our next-door neighbor taking out the trash. Our calendar is so maxed out with commitments in the evening, that we can’t seem to find a free night to invite the couple who moved in down the street over for dinner.
We are too busy, which is a real problem because Jesus wasn’t too busy for people. In fact, some of His greatest miracles started out as delays and interruptions by people. So we are going to have to slow our roll a bit to actually make time for our neighbors.
4. We are unhappy.
This is closely connected with #1, because I really believe it’s impossible to live in a constant state of unhappiness when abiding in Jesus and receiving from His unfailing love.
Now, I’m not saying that there aren’t times that following Jesus, let alone adulting in life aren’t hard, and that there we won’t experience pain and suffering. But in Christ, there can always be joy.
When our lives lack joy, we also lack the energy or motivation to help our neighbors. We aren’t in a good head and heart space to see the needs of others, because our own needs feel overwhelming. If that’s you, please don’t ignore the absence of joy in your life. You weren’t meant to live a miserable life, or even a mediocre one at that. Jesus has life and life to the full for you (John 10:10). Talk to someone about how you are feeling. Seek the Lord for direction. Get help. When you realize you need to make some changes in your life, make the changes.
When you do, not only will your joy increase, but so will your ability to love those around you without resentment, bitterness, or exhaustion.
So, how do we overcome these obstacles to loving our neighbor? I don’t have all these answers, but here’s a few simple things we can do regularly…
1. Pray for your neighbor.
So simple, but let’s pray for the people we live near and the people we interact with.
2. Introduce yourself.
That’s right, if you haven’t met the people who live right next to you or down the hall from you, walk over to their front door and introduce yourself. Let them know you are around if they need anything and that you are glad they are your neighbors.
And do the same for the coworkers, baristas, teachers, maintenance guys, and waiters you regularly come in contact with. Make a note to remember their names.
3 Ask questions and listen.
Once you’ve introduced yourself, talk with them when you see them. Ask them about their weekend, what they thought of the latest football game, how their family is doing, how their day is going. Ask and listen. Find common ground simply by getting to know them over time. When they let you know about an upcoming birthday party or a parent’s surgery or a vacation, follow up by asking how it went and letting them know you are praying for them.
4. Help when and where you can.
Is your neighbor going to be out of town? Let them know you can bring their trash can in for them and water their plants. Did someone just have a baby? Offer to cook them a meal. Does someone need to borrow a truck to move some things to storage? Drive them in your truck and help them move the stuff. Does that coworker seem down? Grab them their favorite coffee drink. This isn’t rocket science. We simply can see needs and help where we can, and as a result our neighbors feel seen and supported.
5. Share a meal.
This might not always apply, but when it feels right, share a meal together. Invite the neighbors over for a game night and hang with them. Offer to take a coworker out to lunch– your treat. When we initiate these types of hang outs with the people around us, we practice the spiritual gift of hospitality. It’s a gift that communicates that people belong, and that may be the best gift we can give someone else.
6. Share your faith.
As the Holy Spirit leads, look for opportunities to share Jesus and your testimony. Invite your neighbors and coworkers to church. Let them know you are praying for them. You don’t have to make it weird, and you shouldn’t force anything on anyone, but if a neighbor is open to hearing more, share! Don’t hold back.
P.S. People are a lot more open to conversations of faith when they have been on the receiving end of our love. Let’s commit to doing #1-5, and talk about Jesus because we’ve already been showing them Jesus.