LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

[Jesus asked], “Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” [The lawyer] said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” – Luke 10:36-37 

Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan to answer the questioning of a lawyer who wanted to test him. The lawyer wants to find a way out of really loving his neighbor as himself. Couldn’t his neighbor be just people he liked or found worthy? Instead, Jesus tells a story where an undesirable (the man from Samaria) shows love and compassion to a hurt traveler who would almost certainly not have done the same for him.  

Jesus sets an enormous challenge before us with this story. When God tells us to love our God with everything we have and to love our neighbors just as well as we love ourselves, God expects great acts of faith from us. Often we, like the lawyer, try to find ways out of it. We decide that some people are unworthy of our love or that we’re not called to share what we have. In the process, we deny our faith and neglect the commandments.  

Our fall generosity appeal is underway. It’s no accident that we have called it Love Your Neighbor. We all know just how difficult it is to be church, community, and even a country with everything happening around us. We want to be a congregation that continues to faithfully carry on the work of Jesus Christ by caring for our neighbors, carrying on excellent ministry, and being prepared for the current moment.   

To do that well, I invite your generous financial giving. You should have received a mailing early this week letting you know about how Easter feels called to serve and how we hope you’ll join us in this work. I know it can be hard to talk about our money. I hope you’ll pray, discuss, and hear the call to make faithful, responsible choices that show your love for your God, yourself, and your neighbor.  

I am so grateful to do this hard work with you. I’m excited to see what God is up to among us. 

Let us pray: 

God, we know that you call us beyond ourselves and into a loving community. Help us serve you and others faithfully and well. Make us generous and compassionate, using everything we have for the good of those in need. We praise you for the ministry of this congregation and continue to listen for your call among us. Amen.