Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. “Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?” He answered, “What’s written in God’s Law? How do you interpret it?” He said, “That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.” Luke 10:25-27
Love God…check. Love my neighbor…not so much.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I am probably the opposite of this guy. He’s wanting to know what defines a neighbor and I’m all like I’m going to help every one I can…except for my actual neighbor.
You can look at this text literally or figuratively. I’ve got the figurative part down. If I drive past a homeless person, I usually have an extra water bottle for them. Or, I can give some spare change that’s just going to sit in my car cup holder that is just going to get nasty anyways. You’re broke down or ran out of gas? Yep, did that deed. Volunteer at my church in serving others? Check. Set up a bible study and devotional at a Starbucks? Nailed it.
But ask me the name of the people that live below me… Literally, I walk down 15 steps and I’m at their front door. What do they do? Well I know it’s a dude, his lady friend, and a kid. I know they drive a grey/tannish Ford Mustang. Other than that, not a clue in the world.
This has been bothering me for some time now. For me to get up the strength and energy and courage to take a 3 second trip out my door to theirs and ask them over for coffee or dinner or anything else. We worry about so much other stuff in this world and yet I’m sure I’m not the only one that has no idea about the people that live below them or above them or next door or however else.
Death of Me 