Love Thy Neighbor

Love Thy Neighbor

What does this mean? Who is your neighbor? When should you not love you neighbor?

These are all good questions and I hope to answer them for you now.

There are 5 rules of life that God wants us all to live by:

Love God with your whole mind, your whole body, and your whole spirit.

Love your neighbor as you love yourself. (Don't forget to love yourself).

Hospitality is not optional

Bad behavior is not acceptable

Accountability is essential

The first two actually encompass the entire 10 commandments! If you love God you will not take His name in vain and you will always observe the sabbath and keep it holy. This follows as surely as night follows day. If you take the Lords name in vain or fail to keep the sabbath holy, then you do not love God. Pretty simple, huh?

If you love your neighbor you will not kill him, steal from him, lie to him or about him. If you love your neighbor you will not covet his possessions or his spouse. You will honor your neighbor as well as honor your parents, who after all, are also your neighbors!

In fact, loving your neighbor, who is God's creation, is the same as loving God. How can you love God and not His creation. In reality then, the first two rules are actually one rule!

Remember, ALL of Gods children are your neighbor, black or white (or any other color), young or old, male or female, gay or straight, tall or short, whether they live in Pakistan or the United States, whether they are Islamic, Jewish, Christian, or other religion, friend or enemy. All humans are your neighbor!

If you love someone you will show them hospitality. You will feed them if they are hungry and you have extra, you will keep them warm, and give of yourself and your time willingly, lovingly. You would never turn a loved one out into a storm.

Showing hospitality does not mean you must ignore bad behavior. If a guest behaves badly, you can ask them to leave. You can even call the secular authorities to assist you in getting your guest to leave. The next time they ask for your hospitality, you can explain that "your house, your rules!". If they do not behave according to your rules you will ask them to leave. Equally, of course, if you do not like the rules of their house you will not go to their house.

However, you would never try to enforce your rules in their house! Not if you are a true Christian. Yet, we have people who call themselves Christian trying, every day, to force others to live by the rules in their house! These people are not really Christians, they only use Christianity to further their own private agendas. A true Christian will only work to further God's agenda!

It is appropriate to tell a person when they are doing something wrong. Do not tell them will force or violence! Do not tell them you will put them in jail if they don't stop doing wrong. Just make sure they know and are accountable for their sins.

You may protect yourself. If your neighbor does things that endanger your life, liberty, or pursuit of happieness you may use force to stop them. But that force must be lovingly applied! Love your neighbor, your enemy is your neighbor too!

Accept the words of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ:

Matthew 5:38-45.

"You have heard that it was said, `Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'

But I tell you [Jesus Christ], Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

"You have heard that it was said, `Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Secular law is designed to protect us here on earth, not to keep people from violating God's law. That is between the sinner and God, your job is only to love them.

Amen