As this week begins, many have already voted and everyone else will join them quickly.
Whoever and whatever you want weighs in the balance of all those millions of other people who either voted along with you or voted in opposition to your choice.
This is it.
As we get this week started, let me share one more question for you to seriously consider today and throughout the remaining of your week: Who is my neighbor?
A Surprising Question
Jesus, when asked by a lawyer who was hoping to trick him, told a story and asked a question of vital importance. First, Jesus asked the man to essentially summarize the law. He responded:
27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ (Luke 10:27)
Jesus commended his answer and told him to do just that. But then the man asked, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus answered this question with the story of the Good Samaritan.
Remember this Story?
Jesus told this story.
A man was robbed, beaten, stripped, and left half-dead on the road to Jericho. A priest and a lawyer both walked by him. The priest intentionally went to the other side of the road. The lawyer stopped and looked at the beaten man, but then just walked away. The only person who stopped to help this Jewish man who was beaten was a Samaritan who followed the other two.
Why is that a big deal? Because Jews hated the Samaritans and the Samaritans hated the Jews.
But the fact that they were political and social enemies with each other did not stop this Samaritan from helping.
Instead, he bandaged him, took him to an inn where he gave him more care, asked the innkeeper to continue his care, and offered to pay whatever it cost.
Jesus ended the story by asking the lawyer, “So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” (Luke 10:36).
Here’s the Bottom Line for This Week
Did you catch this line in the story above? “But the fact that they were political and social enemies with each other did not stop this Samaritan from helping.”
In human terms, the only one who truly understood what it meant to be a neighbor to the other person was his political and social enemy.
This week, as people around you potentially vote much differently than you and where those other people may make your candidate of choice lose, how will you view your neighbor?
Regardless if they agree with you or not and regardless of the outcome of the election, we are to each still love God supremely and love our neighbor sincerely – because they are our neighbors.
Let’s go out this week and strive to do that carefully.
Image Credit Jonathan Simcoe
KevinCarson.com | Wisdom for Life in Christ Together
