2025

Feb 6
Submitted by Mike on 02/06/2025 10:14 AM as 2025


Luke 10: (25) And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? (26) He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? (27) And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. (28) And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. (29) But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? (30) And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. (31) And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. (32) And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. (33) But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, (34) and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. (35) And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. (36) Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? (37) And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.


 Today I am going back through some stuff I had read while doing other studies and did not include. Most people I know do very little in support for those in need. It seems we live in a very selfish society, and it’s all about me. I have my moments on this. Sometimes we need to stop and take a look around us and realize we have it better than most, even in our "lacking” we still have it better than most. What I mean is we are blessed people, whether you want to admit it or not, we are. I did not include this passage on our "Salvation” series because this did not point directly to what Jesus has done, but what morally should come about from what Jesus has done. Having Christ in us means we should do the right thing. The passage talks about the good Samaritan. Talks about how the "upright” "righteous” people who think they are more worthy tan what they actually are. People who think it is beyond them to help or it’s not my place to do so, even in someone’s dire need. Of course, the verses start off again asking how to inherit eternal life. And I like how Jesus responds, by keeping the commandments on loving God and also to your neighbor. Now I had to do some research on where it was written in the law about loving thy neighbor, for that is not in the Ten Commandments.

 

Matthew 22: (37) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (40) On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Wait a second. We know Matthew is not being quoted for that was not written yet, so where is this "love thy neighbor” coming from?

 

We will need to go to Leviticus 19: 9-18.

(9) And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. (10) And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God. (11) Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another. (12) And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. (13) Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning. (14) Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD. (15) Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour. (16) Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD. (17) Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. (18) Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

 

 We see very clear God instructing Moses to make sure your account for our neighbor. One of our key roles as followers of Christ is to be of service to those around us. We have to understand that when we feed and tend to our neighbors and others, we are also doing the same to Jesus.


Matthew: 25 …(34) Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: (35) for I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: (36) naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. (37) Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? (38) When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? (39) Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? (40) And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.


That is definitely the conversation I want God to have with me on judgement day. We are being recorded on everything we do. We will be judged on everything we do. We have a responsibility for those around us. Lets go further, we are also not to only help or serve those we only like, agree with, etc. etc.. but to also help and serve our enemies.

 

Romans 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Luke 6:27  But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you

Luke 6:35  But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.


 The Bible is full of stories about how we are to treat our neighbors and fellow citizens of this world. There is a time for everything as we studied in Ecclesiastes. That also means war, but Jesus’s main concept is to keep love in us over all.  When we go back and look at Matthew 22, loving God and our neighbors would pretty much eliminate much of the world’s issues. Looking at in just a few weeks of our presidential election, how much hate our society spews, yeah it has been going on for a while, but usually more so after these type events, we can see a society that has severely walked away from the moral teachings of Christ. No one is even afraid to admit their hate publicly anymore and will attack anyone who goes against them. I am not picking on one side or the other, it is all over the spectrum. Our society as a whole has turned very self-centered and all about me mentality. I can remember when Covid hit and seeing people buying up all the food and paper supplies and not only taking what they need, but hoarding, the one thing that crossed my mind was wow, these people have no concern for their fellow neighbors. They took all for themselves and did not even think about the needs of others. I think we can make it easier and be more Christlike by "Loving Our Neighbors”.


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