This week is all about being great neighbours, particularly by showing compassion. But what does it look like to show compassion for our neighbours?
Start at the beginning of this series. We started with knowing names, then learning stories as acquaintances. Those two things help us to know the needs of our neighbours. Then we can find ways to help – near or far.
When someone near you has a new baby, we know they’ll be hungry and having a hard time cooking – maybe you can feed them for a day. Or further from home, perhaps you can donate to the food banks at the Salvation Army or St. Paul’s on the Hill in Pickering.
When you walk by a homeless person in a heatwave, they are probably thirsty, perhaps you can offer to buy them a bottle of Gatorade or water. Sit down with them as they drink it. Or further from home, perhaps you can support water well drilling abroad.
When we see someone lonely in a room, standing alone, we can at least introduce ourselves, and help them get acquainted. Or when someone moves to the neighbourhood, welcome them! Further afield, maybe you can volunteer with a local service to immigrants, or an ESL class.
When we know someone can’t afford new clothes that fit, we can share our own, or go on a Value Village spree with them. Or if you have clothes but don’t know who needs them, don’t wait for a garage sale, instead donate them to the Goodwill or Salvation Army thrift shop.
When someone is going through cancer treatment, or another illness, perhaps we can shovel or cut grass. Or if you don’t know someone personally, the Cancer Society always needs volunteers who can drive people to appointments.
Finally, if you know someone in prison, perhaps you can visit them and make it clear you care for them as a human being loved by God. Or if you don’t know someone in that situation, you could support a prison fellowship or another ministry to those who are incarcerated.
Whatever you start with, it’s a part of our calling as followers of Jesus to recognize his beloved creatures in trouble and show compassion.
It’s not about earning some reward – it’s simply part of kingdomliness, which is a reward in and of itself.
Challenge: In yesterday’s exercise, who of these six people in need did you say was hardest and easiest to show compassion for? Plan a practical way to help the needs of both this week – either directly to someone near you, or indirectly as we’ve suggested.
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Jesus always has the Pharisees, or religious lawyers, in mind as he teaches.
Pharisees were essentially seeking a checklist of laws they can work through.
Jesus says that wasn’t the point of the law. Look back to the beatitudes, the content that we started this series with. Jesus was always expanding the law to look at our motivations, not just outward actions we can check off our do/don't do list.
It's a good thing, because we know life isn’t like that. Life throws stituations at all of us that we never anticipated, and could never have listed in advance.
Jesus describes keeping God’s law with this line: So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
He goes on to recognize, this is no checklist, this is very difficult: narrow gate to pass through.
Baggage doesn’t fit. All your religious background, credentials, money, power, etc. all get left behind if you want to go through this gate.
Every human can go through this door if we are willing to let go of all the sin baggage that keeps us from God.
The narrow path – or the cramped path – does not allow us to take with us the things we can carry on the broad path. What are those things?
Our failure to live this way, to go through Jesus’ narrow door, is due to our self-centeredness.
We are instinctively self-centered, self-loving. Fall.
40% of millenials say that "being self-promoting, narcissistic, overconfident, and attention-seeking is helpful for succeeding in a competitive world."
Almost 80% say that their friends use social media for those reasons.
So Jesus uses that against us. Uses our self-love to love others. He redeems our self-love.
Self-love is powerful. Usually our guide – now Jesus says it’s for others, too.
Jesus calls us to an awareness of others as God’s beloved children, too.
We’re not the only ones.
Prevents need for endless rules for every situation. Put self in other’s shoes.
Question: Describe the most self-centered person you know. What do you have in common with them? What characteristics do you share? Why is this so hard to admit?
