Who Is My Neighbor?
Luke 10:25-37
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?”
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 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.”
This Sunday’s service can be viewed on our Facebook page @ Sunday, June 25, 2023
"Who Is My Neighbor?"
(Luke 10:25-37)
It was a joy to open the Scriptures with so many of you last Sunday, and to stay after the service for some great conversations -- including with several people who were first time guests or have been attending more recently. God continues to move, bringing us spiritually hungry people eager for worship, Bible teaching and warm fellowship as he draws people to himself!
Last Sunday we did a fly-over of both Old and New Testaments, discovering a continual thread revealing God's heart for the widow, orphan, those who are poor, and the foreigner or stranger and God's call for us to imitate him in looking after the vulnerable..
Loving, serving and even standing with our neighbors for their flourishing is great! But what about those neighbors we don't like, agree with--or even fear? It's an age-old question that many still wrestle with today. Jesus wants to share his heart with us as we explore perhaps one of his most well-known, beautiful, relevant, and dangerous stories ever told. Come ready to learn and grow this Sunday -- and invite others too -- as we discover practical strategies for loving those we'd rather not love.
Following our worship service, we invite you to stay afterwards for a 15-minute update on national bipartisan policy reforms being debated that could improve the lives of many who struggle. Bring your questions, feel free to disagree (agreeably!), and discover resources and simple tools for taking action to bless our nation!
Grateful,
Pastor Steve Eng