God's Neighborhood

Proper 10, Year C
 
Amos 7:7-17      or         Deuteronomy 30:9-14
Psalm 82             or         Psalm 25:1-10
Colossians 1:1-14                                              
Luke 10:25-37   
 
A certain lawyer decided to test Jesus to see if Jesus even knew the basics of Judaic law.  “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” asked the lawyer, knowing full well what the answer was.  “Well, what is written in the law?  What do you read there?” Jesus countered the question, putting the lawyer on the spot instead. 
 
The response, of course, was what we know as the Great Commandment: “To love God…and to love your neighbor as yourself.”  The lawyer wanted to repair his wounded ego after this rebuke by Jesus, so he intensified the challenge: “But who is my neighbor?”  He hoped to block Jesus into a corner.
 
Jesus responded with a story, the well-known service of the Good Samaritan.  Three people (a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan) come across a man who had been victimized by robbers.  But it was only the Samaritan who stopped to help the poor man. 
 
We initially expect the definition of a neighbor to be about some other person we should be helping – anyone in need – like the man who was hurt by the robbers.  Instead, the parable changes perspective and shows us what behaviors best exemplify that of a good neighbor. 
 
Jesus purpose in framing the story the way that he did was to remind us that being a good neighbor is really a relationship, perhaps a network of people helping others in a loving manner. In other words, it’s really a “neighborhood.”
 
Yes, it starts with someone who has some sort of need (which is just about everyone, isn’t it?), but that need comes to our attention when we are willing to stay alert in the present moment and keep a watch for the needs of others. 
 
Sometimes it’s a big need, and quite obvious, like having been beaten by robbers; other times it’s smaller, and may take a careful eye to discern, like the concerned look on another person’s face, or someone who needs help with packages as they walk down the street. 
 
The priest and the Levite refused to engage in a relationship – they chose to remain as isolated individuals, separating themselves from God, and themselves.  Why did they ignore their brother in need?  There are many possible excuses:
·         Could be a trap; I’d better stay clear
·         Someone else may retaliate against me
·         Don’t know how to help; may make things worse
·         He’s not one of us; not my concern (tribalism)
·         No time; too busy right now
·         The problem is too big; too far away; I’m powerless to do anything
·         I was ordered by my superiors not to help
·         It doesn’t profit me to help those in need
·         I really didn’t see anything
·         He got what he deserved – shouldn’t have been there to get in trouble
·         Don’t have the resources to do any good
 
If we dig deep enough, most of these, if not all, have their roots in fear.  Fear that I may be hurt or lose something; fear that I may have to reveal something about myself to someone I don’t want to; fear that it will impact my life and change things I don’t want changed.
 
Part of what fuels the fear of helping someone in need is that we often think that we have to resolve the issue all on our own.  The truth is, other than the little needs we come across, we usually don’t have the power or resources to fully help someone else.  Being a neighbor to someone in need is not a one-on-one relationship.  Even the Good Samaritan got others involved to help the man beaten by robbers.  He brought the innkeeper into the neighborhood, and probably this involved others who helped the innkeeper at the inn.
 
Neighborhoods are not geographical locations; they’re networks of people who are able to help each other in various ways.  Each of us has been given some talents and gifts to contribute to the good of the world.  No one person has it all.  No one person can solve all the problems.  But together we can. We have been designed to be part of God’s neighborhood, and not be isolated individuals.
 
Stay alert for others’ needs (and your own) moment by moment.  But don’t assume that when you run across something that you have to fix it all.  Get the “neighborhood network” humming and work together on the issue as best you can.  Eventually those with the ability and resources to help can get matched up with those who are in need.