Tuesday, July 4th 2006
Read: Exodus 12
“What? I have neighbors?” This is a question that is rarely asked but many Christians act as if they live in an underground bubble on a deserted island. Christian isolation is not the way God wants us to live. Jesus said that the greatest commandments are to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and soul, and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27).
This isn’t just a New Testament way of thinking. Way back in the Old Testament God made His people love their neighbors. In Exodus 12:4 each household of Israel was told to take a lamb for their family but if that family was too small to eat the lamb by itself it would share the meal with their nearest neighbors. The scriptures didn’t just say closest neighbor relationship-wise but the nearest neighbor.
So as we think of our nearest neighbors, how can we love them? How can we show that we love them? If our neighbors are having problems with their health and we know that they don’t have anyone to take care of them what should we do? Should we pass by them without helping because it might mess up our schedule? We are called to care for our neighbors and their families as well. Love isn’t a word it is an action.
We are not called to be soldiers not by word of mouth but by action. We can say we are soldiers. We can say we love our neighbors. We can even say that red is green and green is blue but it doesn’t make it true. We have to actively love our neighbors. It is time we stop living like no one else matters. In the end it is not about us. I dare you to show your neighbors that you care. This may be difficult; they may seem like they don’t like you. Well, go out of your way to show them you still care. When they are sick be the first one to pay them a visit. When the cat runs away be the first one to offer to help look for it.
Yes we all have neighbors. Now love them.
“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22).
Q: Is there anything more potentially Revolutionary than authentic Christian community?
How many neighbors do you know? Have your shared with them your lives and the Gospel yet?
Youth Department