Love Your Neighbor

We are commanded to love our neighbor. But what does that mean? What does loving our neighbor look like and who is our neighbor? Bill continues our Love(d) series with a great message about how we are to love those around us. All of those around us. Love Your Neighbor Love(d) | Week 3 January 22, 2017 | Bill Clark To love is itself a gift from God. Our neighbor can be anyone who has fallen into life’s ditch. Luke 10:25-37 (NIV) On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘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.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Love isn’t love if it doesn’t include loving our neighbors. No human being ISN’T our neighbor. Pity never helped anyone. If I were that person, what help would I wish for? Go where your heart and your head meet.