A GOOD NEIGHBOR
Introduction:
Some times, we appreciate
our selves when we give some money to a homeless person or a needy one or to
some donation to a non-profit organization or to some gospel ministries. God gave us a heart of compaction and mercy
to help others who are need of our help.
We always receive mail to help some one for some thing. Some times, we have mind to help and some
time we ignore. Some time we do not
know, whether they deserve our help. We
help them not because we are rich and not because we have extra money but
because we love Jesus, out of this love, we help those who are in need.
Firstly, Find your neighbor:
Jesus told this story of
Good Samaritan to a lawyer and the crowed who were with him. We know this story. Jesus concluded this
story by challenging this lawyer, “Which of these three, do you think, proved
to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” The Lawyer said, “The one who showed him
mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go,
and do likewise.” V.36, 37.
This was a young lawyer, he
knew how to interpret the Law of Moses, and he wanted to test Jesus whether
Jesus had good knowledge of scripture.
He started by calling him “teacher” that means ‘Rabbi’ the name given to
a scribe in Jewish religion. He asked Jesus a highly intellectual spiritual
question and he himself gave the answer.
After that he put a foolish and selfish question, “Who is my
neighbor?” He wanted to draw limits to
his mind to select his neighbor. It may
be limited to his religion or clan or who lived in his neighbor hood, or his
region.
Three weeks ago, World
Vision went to help to Pakistan to those who were affected by a storm. Two years ago America helped Tsunami
affected people in Indonesia. They are not Christians they are Muslims. We know
some of Muslim radicals are planning to kill Americans and destroy them. Even then we helped those people who were in
the desperate need.
If you want to find your
neighbor, first you should come out of your selfish nature. You need to think beyond your limits and
boundaries.
When British ruled India, on
a hot summer, a Brahman a high caste man fell on the ground at a railway
station platform with supplication. A
white man, who was a stationmaster there, brought some water for him. But this bramhan did not drink that water
because the stationmaster was a Christian.
He wanted to die rather to drink that water.
Samaritans were untouchable
people to Jews and Samaritans think they were not to suppose to touch
Jews. We know the story of Jesus asking
water from a Samaritan woman. Why can’t
this Samaritan think that way? That he cannot touch him because he was a
Jew. I assume the victim was a Jew. He came and touched him and helped him
because, Jesus said, “He had compassion.”
If you want to find a good
neighbor, you need to have love of Jesus and compaction to those who are in
need. “Go and find your neighbor.”
Secondly, “Serve your neighbor”:
What this Good Samaritan did
to this victim? “He went to him and
bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.
Then he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care
of him. And the next day he took out
two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and
whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’” V.34,35. He showed more love and compassion towards
this victim. Service is main priority
in this story.
In India, a pastor was going
to his church to lead worship. While he
was going, he saw an old man sitting under a bridge. Normally, in India, poor people live under bridges and under
trees. Next Sunday also he saw same old
man under same bridge with out food and water because he cannot move. This pastor went to him, saw his condition
called a taxi took him to his home, and served him. Next Sunday this pastor preached on this story of Good Samaritan
and showed this old man as an example.
The church body met and contributions were collected and started to help
people like this old man. Some time
later, some charity organizations came forward to finance them. Now they are running a big ministry among
the poor people regardless of religion, cast and language.
“Go and find your neighbor and serve him.”
James 2:15, 16 said, faith
with out works is dead. “Suppose a
brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “go. I wish you will; keep warm and
well fed,” but does nothing about his physical need, what good is it?”
We do not turn our backs
from our neighbors who are in need of our help. Go and do some social service not because people will recognize
you, not because you have time to do so, but because of Christ who lives in
you. Christ love compels us to do these
good works.
Many times, we excuse our
selves saying that, “ I have no time to do this, I do not want take risks, if
some thing goes wrong the police case turn against me. So send some money to charities they will do
this job and I will just pray for them.”
It may be a good idea to stay away from problems but it is also our
responsibility to server a needy person.
Finally, Bring your neighbor to Christ:
Remember this, Jesus is our
Good Samaritan. Out of His compassion
and love, He gave us his life, because He saw our burden of sins of this
world. Moreover, we are like sheep with
out a shepherd. We are under control of
Satan who made us slaves of sins. In
addition, we are worthy of condemnation and death. Jesus saw our condition, loved us, came to us, and saved us by
dyeing on the Cross. Therefore, He is
our Good Samaritan and we should bring our needy neighbor to Jesus who gives
him eternal life.
In 1977 Oscar Romero because
archbishop of El Salvador. He realized
that the Hispanic rulers of his country had been persecuting the Indians, the
native Salvadorans. He consecrated his
ministry to assisting the poor and became an articulate champion of economic
and social justice. He brings the poor
and native of Salvador to the feet of Jesus Christ by bringing them social
justice. He was assassinated as he
celebrated the Eucharist on March 24, 1980.
He is a Good Samaritan who
made himself as an example of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who called us, will give us ability to stand on the side of
poor and needy. We should stand until
the death for their social justice.
Conclusion:
Dear friends, do you want to
be a good neighbor to a needy and helpless person? First, you must be filled
with the love of Christ to serve him as Jesus served and gave his life so that
you and I should enter into the eternal life.
Also, bring your neighbor to Jesus so that he will be completely helped
and will be saved from his sinful nature.
Many countries refuse to
take help from Christian charities because we help them and give them Gospel.
They do not want Gospel so they do not want our help. Pray those countries to
open the doors for the Gospel of Christ.
A victim of an earthquake, in Pakistan, asked a
volunteer who was serving him, “why do you helping us even our own government
abounded us?” He volunteers answered, “The love of Christ send us to help
you.” The victims are Muslims and come
to know Christ by these good works.
Jesus is telling us, “You go, and do
like wise and be a good neighbor.”
May the Lord help us to be good neighbors to those
who are in need. Amen