As tension increases it seems that more and more there is a temptation to post things that don’t glorify God. This impacts our neighbors. But who is my neighbor?
Won’t you be my neighbor…
Stop it. That’s some of the simplest instruction we receive from Scripture. It leaves no room for excuses or for “pardon me, but”s. One unfortunate result of our current circumstances is the rise of our own opinions and the inability of science to answer every question. (Maybe that’s why science isn’t mentioned in Scripture but Wisdom is… a thought for another time…). Unfortunately we are all too willing to abscond (to leave or deny) our own ability to carry on responsibly and appeal to “science” or “scientists” or “experts”. Which leaves us then torn between dueling experts. We’ll find a clip of a doctor terrified of what’s going on and begging people to stay at home while another doctor is saying that lockdowns should be lifted. They’re both “experts”. They’re both right. When a measure of wisdom is applied then it allows for individuals to exercise freedom. Everyone should have the freedom to stay home or leave. We already exercise this freedom in our car. We don’t have stay at home orders because someone dies in an auto-accident. We have the wisdom to either wear or not wear our seat belt. So we should have the freedom to apply the same wisdom in leaving or not leaving our homes without the fear of repercussion from government or neighbors.
And that’s the difficult part – our neighbors. It may be the people that we live immediately beside or those we rub elbows with while shopping – they’re our neighbors. And when fear drives people, neighbors can become toxic. Fear is a horrible master. We serve the thing we fear. And right now, as a society, many of us fear a virus and live in such a way to serve it. It dictates our routine, our thoughts, our actions, our homes, our economies, our desires. A tyrannical ruler.
So what if we’d do what Scripture tells us to do. What if we stop it. Stop living in fear of the unknown and try living in the “fear of the Lord” which is the beginning of all … wait for it … “wisdom”. That’s right. If we humble ourselves – not before the fear of death – but before the fear of God – then it is how we become wise. Our thoughts, words, and actions will find themselves rooted in our desire to please and glorify God rather than trying to justify ourselves or make ourselves look better or smarter than others.
And if we’re to exercise some wisdom, then we need to apply it. Let’s start with some wisdom James offers in 3:9-12
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
There are no lack of emotional responses that we can apply to our current living conditions. There are no lack of emotional responses to dealing with other people and their desire to change the circumstances they are in. And these responses have been blasted on 11 over the discourse avenues of social media. And the most disturbing trend is our quick ability to spew salt water where spring water should flow from. The comparison from the passage is one of life and death. Fresh water is the water of life, salt water is the water of death – salt water is unusable for anything practical this side of the ocean. And the worst salt water are the sexualize, vulgar, degrading comments that get sited and shared. Those comments, when put side by side with comments that glorify Jesus, do nothing to advance the idea that Jesus is a whole-life-changing savior. It advances the idea that Jesus is nothing more than a name-drop in order to cover for my other intentional act of degrading him. Why is it important to wisely avoid spewing forth both types of water? It has everything to do with our neighbors.
We’re not different than the law experts of Jesus’s day. They wanted to have their opinions and eat them too. They wanted to praise God but would most often degrade other people in the process. And they would highlight this by their own actions. Take for instance, Luke 10:25-29
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 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.’”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In an effort to to expose Jesus in some way, the expert becomes exposed. And in an effort to save face, he asks the perfect question – and one we should be asking ourselves every time before we make a comment, share a post, write an opinion, make a statement… It should become our first exercise of wisdom if every circumstance. We would ask ourselves “Who is my neighbor?” And then we should immediately reflect on the answer that Jesus gave this expert. And that is the following:
Luke 10:30-37
30 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. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 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. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[e] 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.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
“Go and do likewise”. Our neighbor is the one we choose to show kindness and compassion. And if we’re picky about who we show that kindness and compassion then we’ve become less than Christlike. “For God so loved the WORLD that he gave his one and only Son…” He didn’t limit his kindness and compassion to a particular group or segment – he offered it to the world.
So if the key to “eternal life” is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you strength and with all your mind” and “love your neighbor as yourself” then we ought to follow Jesus lead and realize that EVERYONE is our neighbor since EVERYONE is in a position to receive our kindness and compassion. This means that we’re willing to check ourselves – check our language, check our thoughts, check our attitudes and words towards others. We are not to be like the expert who seeks to justify himself. So we cannot allow ourselves to excuse our vulgarities or demeaning language as “oh well, it’s just the way I am” – especially if we claim Christ and claim to be “made in His image” because we then crudely try to remake him in our own image of personality. If we offend because we’re being offensive (rude/crude/etc) then we apologize and wisely seek to not act in the same way. If we offend because we looking to show kindness and compassion on everyone by living according to the truth and grace of Jesus Christ then by all means we should be as offensive as possible. But as we go through these moments we should seek Him first – show Him always – and share Him in everything that we say and do. And when we fall short, we apologize; we seek forgiveness; and we glorify Him even more because of His kindness and grace to us. We are sinners saved by grace who now live as His royal priesthood in sharing his goodness with our neighbors.
Let’s pray:
Father – we’re so humbled by your love and mercy. Help us to humbly share that love and mercy in what we say and do each and every day. First to our families, then to our neighbors. And help us to have the wisdom to know just how great our neighborhood extends. Be with us in everything that we do – and help us to be better children every day. We thank you – and love you – and pray this in your name. Amen.
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