The early chapters of the Bible contain some very important questions, questions that have changed and continue to influence human history.
The first question asked – “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any
tree in the garden’?” (Gen.3.1b). The
questioner, of course, was the serpent – Satan’s representative. Variations of
that question are still asked today. It may come in the form of “Who said you
have to do what your parents tell you?” or “Who said you should wait till
you’re married?” or “Who said it’s wrong to go off
with someone else’s wife or husband?” or “You don’t really have to do that!”
It centres around an important word that has been given a bad name in recent times – the word submission. The starting point of human sin and its consequences has been refusal to submit to God. “Did God really say?”
But soon there was another question – “Where are you?” (v.9b). The questioner was God. Of course God knew where they were – and what they had done! It had been normal and natural to walk and talk with God in the cool of the evening. Sharing their life with God was wonderful and enriching. The God who created them loved them and wanted all that was good for them. The first effect of their rebellion was that they felt ashamed and wanted to hide from God. But God, who is so basic to our lives, showed by his question that he was not going to leave the human race in their rejection and isolation – heading to death. But neither was he going to take away our freedom to respond. He called on Adam and Eve to tell what they had done.
The call to repent of sin and return to God is implicit in this question. Again and again throughout the Bible we are aware of God’s question – still there behind all that he says and does. “Where are you?”
Following that first sin, life in the Garden was no longer possible. Life would involve lots of sweat and toil. Adam and Eve still believed in God. With the birth of their first son, Eve said, “By the Lord’s help I have acquired a son,” and she named him Cain (4.1). Their next son was Abel.
But that first sin had released sin into the world and Cain killed Abel – the first murder. Again, God comes with a question, “Where is your brother Abel?” God had given Cain a warning, “Why are you angry?... sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must master it” (v.7) Cain had given in to anger and murdered his brother. But God is still reaching out to Cain. That question, “Where is your brother Abel?” is saying – “Come on, Cain! Tell me what you have done. You can still repent and turn back to me. It’s not too late, even now!”
But Cain replied with another question – “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (v.9b)
And there we have a third question from the dawn of history reaching down to us today! Of course, he had murdered his brother and was trying to cover up! Most would agree that the choice to harm or destroy the life of another person is wrong. And yet – the theme of so much of modern life is “I am not my brother’s keeper!” I am not responsible to respect him, to care for him, to be glad with him in his successes... What matters is my life, my ambitions, my goals...”
When the expert in the Law came up to Jesus, Jesus asked him to tell what the Scriptures say. The man replied with two verses. Deut. 6.5, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind”. And Lev.19.18, “Love your neighbour as yourself.” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But the teacher had come to trap Jesus, so he asked another question – “And who is my neighbour?”
Jesus answered with a story. A man was walking down from
And that is what happens to this man. Robbers attack him, strip him of anything of value, beat him up and leave him half dead.
Then a priest walks along that road – probably thinking his own thoughts and anxious to get home safely. He sees the man. His immediate thought is for his own safety. “There are robbers around. They might get me, if I stay here.” So he passed by on the other side.
Soon a Levite comes – a helper from the
Jesus deliberately chose the priest and the Levite because they should have known what God expects of us. And, theoretically, they did. If Jesus had asked them, “What do the Scriptures say?”, they would have been able to quote chapter and verse like the teacher of the Law in our reading.
A Sunday School superintendent was laying a new front path. Just as he had worked the concrete to a good non-slip surface, his four-year-old son walked across it. The father blew his top. His wife came out to see what was happening. “I thought you loved children,” she said. “Well yes, I do”, the father replied, “in the abstract, but not in the concrete!”
The whole point is not whether the priest and the Levite knew their obligations to love their neighbour, but what will they do about this neighbour?
Then the Samaritan comes along. Samaritans were hated by the Jews. They had been brought in to populate the land while the Jews were in exile. They had adopted some of the principles of the Jewish religion and accepted the first five books of the Bible.
The Samaritan comes along, sees the man, is filled with pity. “He goes to him and bandages his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he puts the man on his own donkey, takes him to an inn and takes care of him.” He pays the inn-keeper and offers to pay more next time he is through, if there are any extra expenses to be met.
Notice how Jesus now changes the question. “Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” “Who is my neighbour?” can be a very theoretical question. But Jesus is saying, “To whom should I act as a neighbour?”
In Luke 18 a rich man comes to Jesus with the question, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus reminds him of the ten commandments. “I’ve done all that!” “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (v.22)
In chapter 19 we have the story of Zacchaeus. The result of his meeting with Jesus – “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount” (v.8).
In today’s reading, we hear the teacher of the Law answer, “The one who had mercy on him.” He doesn’t say, “The Samaritan,” but Jesus’ point is clear to him.
“Go and do likewise.”
But who is my neighbour? Or, to turn it around as Jesus did, Who is the person or persons to whom I should act as a neighbour? We need to give that some thought if we are to “go and do likewise”.
As a nation we face the pressing and contentious issue of the boat people – asylum seekers. Our present government, when in opposition, knew all the answers. But now, with the realities of government, they seem much more inclined to policies akin to those of their predecessors. On the one hand, the truth is that so much of our country cannot sustain a large population. On the other, with the stated policy of at least some branches of Islam to strive for political and religious control of the whole world, added to the fact the majority of asylum seekers are Muslim, is it right to just open the doors and let them all in?
One way or another we see our whole Australian way of life both changing and challenged. It is so easy to criticise our politicians. Much more than we do, we need to pray for them.
But that “big canvas” stuff isn’t our prime responsibility. Our issue is – Who is the person or persons to whom I should act as a neighbour? Is there someone for whom I need to go out of my way – to cook a meal, to help in some practical way…? Is there someone whose condition or situation is an inconvenience or embarrassment to me? How do we reach out to angry youth or social misfits?
We don’t know anything about the man who was walking from
To whom should I be neighbourly? Jesus says, “Go and do likewise.” May God guide us in practical ways to people who need a neighbour’s love.
© Peter J. Blackburn, Halifax &
Ingham, 11 July 2010
Except where otherwise noted, Scripture quotations
are from the New International Version, © International Bible Society,
1984.
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