You may know that I am working on my doctoral program through Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. Through much of this past week while I was in St. Paul, we used fancy terminology about what the church is and what the church does, but much of it really boiled down to this question asked of Jesus – a question we’ve heard often, but which still challenges us every day.
The lawyer, as any good attorney will do, asked a deep question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus first responds with a question: “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” The lawyer knows the Scriptures and correctly lifts up loving God with one’s whole self (Deuteronomy 6:5) and loving one’s neighbor as oneself (Leviticus 19:18). But then the lawyer asked an even deeper question: “And who is my neighbor?”
This week, read this conversation from Luke 10:25-37 over and over again. Challenge yourself to answer the question for yourself … who is your neighbor? Allow yourself to answer both in abstract terms, but also very specifically.
We have examples all around us:
- Many of us have people that we don’t get along with – people that we gripe or complain about. How does being a good neighbor offer us fresh perspectives?
- The Trayvon Martin case. How does being a good neighbor shed light on how we are to view this case, how we are to view this from Trayvon’s perspective, how we are to view this from George Zimmerman’s perspective? Would being a good neighbor have changed this situation?
- Immigration and immigration reform. How does being a good neighbor influence our approach?
- Politics that have become so divisive. How are we challenged?
- The poor and homeless. Do we have a responsibility or obligation to help? Politics aside, the Bible has a lot to say about caring for the poor, the widow, the orphan and the resident alien in our midst. What does this care mean?
How do you see yourself as a “good Samaritan”? What are the barriers that you face in your life?
Please feel free to share your reflections.
Epicurious Lutheran 