Helping Our Neighbors

Readings: Zachariah 7:4-10, Galatians 3:16-22, Luke 10:23-37


Where I live, in the Midwest, helping one's neighbor is just plain the thing to do. We help people who need a ride when the car won't start, feed the dogs and cats and pick up the mail when they go on a little vacation, hold their hand or give them a shoulder when a catastrophe strikes. Who would we be if we weren't there to lend a hand or ear?


The Bible tells us in both the Old and New Testament that being a good neighbor is not only a good idea, but very much expected of us.


But what do we do when we expand the neighborhood? When the "neighbor" is a person who makes nothing but bad choices throughout life; when the "neighbor" is a person or family that isn't our color or nationality; when the "neighbor" is someone of questionable background? The Bible gives us an answer: "Do not oppress the widow, or the fatherless, the alien, or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other" (Zachariah 7:10). A pretty tall order for us, don't you think?  Are these people deserving of our help if they're clearly not helping themselves? "Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another" (Zachariah 7:9).


But aren't we supposed to encourage people to be good and do good? Won't helping them just encourage them to do the opposite? Don't we need to use "tough love" to encourage them to make them more independent? When we think on these terms, we've immediately limited ourselves to think on a level that is beneath the spiritual plane we've been called to use. "The scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe" (Galatians 3:22). That's our dose of tough love...no matter how good we think we are, we're still all sinners. Only our faith in Christ will release us from these limitations--and once we receive more and more release, it enables us to become more of that good neighbor. As difficult as it is, we're truly called to look over, through, and beyond another's faults when offering aid or assistance.


It all pretty much gets summed up in the familiar story of the Good Samaritan. We remember that there was a man that was robbed, beaten, and left for dead along the road. Since he wasn't the "right" kind of person in many a man's opinion, he was ignored--until a Samaritan came along. He helped the man up, got him cleaned up and his wounds cared for, and made sure he had a place to stay until he regained his health--no questions asked. All was covered. Then Jesus asked, "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hand of robbers?" (Luke 10:36)


"The expert in the law replied, 'The one who had mercy on him.' Jesus told him, 'Go and do likewise'" (Luke 10:37).


Throughout this week, let's all agree to be more of the example of the Good Samaritan; we don't have to agree with everything a person in need does, says, or in the way he/she acts. We do, however, have an obligation to "go and do likewise" in helping our neighbor.


Peace be with you.