Be a good neighbor!

If you looked up the word neighbor in the dictionary, the first definition is obvious:  a neighbor is one who lives near another. It could be your next-door neighbor.  But I really liked the next two definitions of a neighbor: one is a neighbor who is a fellow human being, and the other definition is one who shows kindness and helps another person who is in need.

In today’s readings for the 15^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Deuteronomy and the Gospel of Luke give us sage advice on why we should love our neighbors whether they are next door, on the other side of town or across the world.  

God’s great commandment to love one another is not something mysterious.   Indeed, it should be “very near” to us, yet I think we would all agree how difficult it is to being a loving neighbor to whomever is in need. But here’s the deal: If we seek God and if we want to spend eternity with Him, we must love our neighbors.

In Deuteronomy, Moses tells the Israelites what it takes to be holy. You could call it a holy road map or a spiritual survival guide on how to live a holy life and what pitfalls to avoid such as sins.  Moses tells the Israelites the Ten Commandments are “something very near to you, already in your mouths, and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.”  The Israelites, like us, had a clear choice to decide between good and evil.  If you select good, you will live and be blessed.  If you select evil, you will perish and not live a long life.  Pretty black and white, right?

In the Gospel reading, we hear a scholar wanted to “test” Jesus or trick him with a question. The scholar asked Christ what he must do to inherit eternal life.   Jesus knew this person knew the answer, so Jesus turns the tables and asked the person how he interprets the law. The scholar said he believes if he loves God and his neighbor, he will be rewarded.  Christ says that’s correct.  The scholar should have stopped right there, dropped the mic and walked away while he was ahead. But he wanted to “justify” himself and embarrass our Lord, so he asked Jesus another question: who is his neighbor? In other words, who does he need to be nice to in order to go to heaven?  

Jesus tells the well-known story of the Samaritan stopping on the side of the road to help a victim of a robbery.  Christ tells the scholar and us to act like the merciful Samaritan and help our neighbors.  We don’t need to get hung up on rules and traditions like the priest and Levite did. If someone needs our help, we need to step in and help. If you see someone get hurt for example in a car accident, stop and see if you can help.  Don’t assume someone else is going to be the Good Samaritan.  Jesus teaches that love for our neighbor must accompany our love for God. They go together.  The Samaritan exemplifies this new standard of holiness by being a good neighbor.  

Imagine you’re at a shopping center.  There are dozens if not hundreds of people around you.  Unless you’re extremely well connected, you probably don’t know them all do you?  You might be somewhat hesitant to call these people your brothers and sisters in Christ.   Why is that?  Well, you don’t know them by name.  You’re out of your comfort zone.  Well, it’s time to feel a bit uncomfortable!  As Christians, we are the conduits for God’s message. All of us are created in God’s image and as a result, all of us have the responsibility as his disciples to be holy, merciful and loving towards others.  

Can we see God’s image in every person we meet?  Do we take the time to see more than just the outside, the exterior of a person?  Do we try to see what’s inside our neighbor? Let us walk the talk and live the commandments.