Much is being said about love of neighbour at present, in light of migrant policies.
The illustration given by Christ himself to demonstrate love of neighbour was the parable of the Good Samaritan, provoked by the question, “Who is my neighbour?”
It is as simple as this: Your neigbour is the person in need who God has placed in your way.
To love them is to answer their need at the cost to yourself.
The Samaritan in the parable stumbled upon a man in need. He is a neighbour. No other criteria are relevant.
The Samaritan spent his time, money, concern, and convenience on this man, out of his comfort zone and assuming a degree of personal risk.
Notice: this is necessarily interpersonal. It is a command that is supposed to convict you about your own personal life, whether you prioritise your own self or live a costly life of love for those who God brings your way.
Also notice: this is not a command to the state. Who is the state’s neighbour? Other countries? Every person on earth? And, how does the state “love”? It doesn’t even spend its own money. It’s a nonsense. The command doesn’t work if applied to the wrong entity like this. It’s a category mistake.
Scripture deals with the obligations of the state separately, and they are distinct. For example, the state’s powers of punishment and justice exceed those of the individual.
To claim the state must cease from deporting convicted criminals who have entered the country illegally “because love of neighbour” is a mess of an argument.
And notice: this command is not the benchmark for your family. That is higher (e.g. consider the passages on husbands and wives). Scripture takes much more time to articulate the very weighty obligations that flow between families and other such special relationships.
For some people, when all they have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. If all you have in your Christianity is “love your neighbour” then you’ve lost the rest of your toolkit and you’ll be using the wrong tool for a lot of things . . . it’s not even the starting point. That would be “love of God,” which (among many other things) will help you set all of his commands in order and obey them all.
Go, read the Good Samaritan, and don’t make it a political creed. Rather, reflect on your daily life, and love that needy or difficult person in need who God has brought across the path of your life even if it’s not easy.
Martyn Iles
Much is being said about love of neighbour at present, in light of migrant policies.
The illustration given by Christ himself to demonstrate love of neighbour was the parable of the Good Samaritan, provoked by the question, “Who is my neighbour?”
It is as simple as this: Your neigbour is the person in need who God has placed in your way.
To love them is to answer their need at the cost to yourself.
The Samaritan in the parable stumbled upon a man in need. He is a neighbour. No other criteria are relevant.
The Samaritan spent his time, money, concern, and convenience on this man, out of his comfort zone and assuming a degree of personal risk.
Notice: this is necessarily interpersonal. It is a command that is supposed to convict you about your own personal life, whether you prioritise your own self or live a costly life of love for those who God brings your way.
Also notice: this is not a command to the state. Who is the state’s neighbour? Other countries? Every person on earth? And, how does the state “love”? It doesn’t even spend its own money. It’s a nonsense. The command doesn’t work if applied to the wrong entity like this. It’s a category mistake.
Scripture deals with the obligations of the state separately, and they are distinct. For example, the state’s powers of punishment and justice exceed those of the individual.
To claim the state must cease from deporting convicted criminals who have entered the country illegally “because love of neighbour” is a mess of an argument.
And notice: this command is not the benchmark for your family. That is higher (e.g. consider the passages on husbands and wives). Scripture takes much more time to articulate the very weighty obligations that flow between families and other such special relationships.
For some people, when all they have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. If all you have in your Christianity is “love your neighbour” then you’ve lost the rest of your toolkit and you’ll be using the wrong tool for a lot of things . . . it’s not even the starting point. That would be “love of God,” which (among many other things) will help you set all of his commands in order and obey them all.
Go, read the Good Samaritan, and don’t make it a political creed. Rather, reflect on your daily life, and love that needy or difficult person in need who God has brought across the path of your life even if it’s not easy.
2 months ago | [YT] | 623