Yesterday we saw Jesus saying the way we treat a hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, or imprisoned person says something about our desire to join his kingdom.  What is the consequence of this story?

The story makes it clear that Jesus’ kingdom is based on generous sacrifice.  Our motivation for compassion and care is not to be someone else noticing, or that we’ll get thanked, paid back or will otherwise benefit.  It’s not even entirely about the other person’s benefit.

It’s simply the right thing to do, and it’s the overflow of a relationship with God in Jesus.

The deck-building neighbour I described on Monday was also married to a great neighbour.  She was a nurse, and one day she came over to check on my wife, who’d fallen asleep laying on the grass resting from gardening.  This was part of that nurse’s vocation, it’s not just a job to help people in need, it’s actually part of who she is, and what she is called to do.

Christians have the same kind of vocation to love our neighbours, with friendship, words, and also our actions not because there’s something in it for us, but because it is who we are as citizens of the kingdom of God.

Sometimes this isn’t as easy as checking on a friendly neighbour – not everyone finds visiting prisoners easy, it can be scary.  Serving the thirsty can mean travelling places we’d rather not see.  Helping those with no clothes can be awkward!

But this is how Jesus challenges us to dispay kingdomliness.  He calls us to overcome our fears, prejudices, anxiety  for the sake of his kingdom and its values.

Q: List the six needs Jesus wants his followers to meet:

  • The hungry
  • The thirsty
  • The stranger
  • The naked
  • The sick
  • The imprisoned.

Who do you naturally have the most compassion for?  Who do you find most challenging to show compassion for?  Why?

Remember, we meet for coffee every Wednesday night at Starbucks in the Chapters Store in Ajax, in Durham Region just East of Toronto.  Maybe we’ll see you there?

Ryan Sim - September 18, 2013

Wednesday - Change It - Strangers to Neighbours

Won\'t You Be My Neighbour?

Jesus says to love our neighbours, and includes enemies in his definition. In this week’s story Jesus confronted the reality that Samaritans and Jews were neighbours yet enemies, and said that his followers need to love and serve one another beyond such divisions. Elsewhere, he says it quite clearly: love your enemy. Turn the other cheek. Go the extra mile. My favourite part is where he says, “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.” Loving your friends is nothing special, but loving your enemies is special indeed. It’s hard, it’s messy, it feels very risky, compromising and vulnerable. But when we avoid loving our neighbours and enemies, we live in isolation, fear of the unknown and misunderstandings. One mayor told a church leader: “The majority of issues that our community is facing would be eliminated or drastically reduced if we could just figure out a way to become a community of great neighbours.” It’s hard to know what to say, do, when life gets messy, and especially when our love isn’t returned. It’s easy to just give up and say Jesus’ command is too hard to follow. But that can be explained simply enough. We haven’t got enough practice loving those closest to us, who aren’t our enemies, in order to be ready for loving our enemies. Loving our friendly, similar neighbours is good training for the big leagues. So – start by just finding out – Who is my neighbour? Download the attached Block Map. Click the Extra file, or link at end of video. You are in the middle of the grid, and think of the other squares in the grid as your neighbours across the street, beside and behind your home. Or if it’s more appropriate, think of it as your workplace, and the squares as neighbouring cubicles. Then write in each square: - Their Name(s) - One Fact About Them - Something Deeper – A hope, dream, fear, challenge, etc. Try and complete the grid as much as possible, and discuss with your group. We meet for coffee every Wednesday night at Starbucks in the Chapters Store in Ajax, in Durham Region just East of Toronto. Maybe we'll see you there?

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