MISSION TO MY NEIGHBOR
Lesson 7 for November 18, 2023
Since love is the summary of the Law, love must be demonstrated by
obeying the Law (James 2:8-10).
This implies that love for God and neighbor cannot remain mere
words or feelings. Love must be put into practice.
Starting from a question from a lawyer, Jesus taught us how to love
God and our neighbors (Luke. 10:25-37).
Only through our love and service to others who need help can we
demonstrate the authenticity of our love for Christ.
“On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Master,”
he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25)
If it were not for the expression “to test him,” we would think
that this expert in the law was a person who sincerely wanted
Jesus to tell him how to obtain eternal life.
Jesus knew that his intentions were not good, however, he did
not reproach him for anything, nor did he refuse to answer him.
Always attentive to taking advantage of any opportunity for the
mission, he took this opportunity to make a personal appeal.
Furthermore, the question was too important to leave
unanswered: “By doing what will I inherit eternal life?”
Some time later, a rich young man asked him the same
question (Luke. 18:18).
Like them, each of us has the same desire for transcendence;
the same need to live beyond this short life (Ecclesiastes. 3:11;
James 4:14).
THE ANSWER IS IN THE WORD
At times, we may be approached with provocative questions (for
example, “why do you say there is only one God, but you worship three
people?”). Maybe we think that, like the expert in the law, their only
purpose is to provoke, annoy, or expose us.
Unlike Jesus, we cannot know people's real intentions (John 2:25).
Perhaps, without knowing it, we are facing a sincere seeker of truth.
Therefore, we must imitate the method that Jesus used to answer
difficult or malicious questions.
To answer his trick question, Jesus led the expert in the law to look for the answer
in the Word of God.
So, first of all, we must take our interlocutor to the Bible as the only authoritative
source to know the truth (“What is written in the law?”).
Second, lead him into a personal Bible study (“How do you read?”). Don't settle
for what we know or can tell you. It is important that we let the Word itself,
under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, direct us to the knowledge of the truth
(Psalms. 119:105).
LOVE IN ACTION (1)
“He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’;
and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live” (Luke 10:27-28)
The theory was good: “You answered well.” To have eternal life,
we must love God and our neighbors.
But what about practice? Going from theory to practice is not
always easy. But Jesus made it very clear: “DO this, and you will
live”.
How can I show that I love God and my neighbor?
According to John, I show that I love God when I love my
neighbor (1Jn. 4:20). So, love is shown in the way I treat others.
James tells us very clearly “Suppose a brother or a sister is without
clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep
warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs,
what good is it?” (James 2:15-16 NIV).
The challenge is to do what we know is right. Just knowing about how
to love is not enough. We have to put it into practice!
LOVE IN ACTION (2)
“For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Galatians 5:14)
In short, when I love my Isaiah 1:17
“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause
neighbor in a practical way of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow”
I demonstrate that I love Jeremiah “He defended the cause of the poor and deedy, and so all went well. Is
God and, according to 22:16 that not what it means to know me? Declares the Lord”
Paul, I am fulfilling the Law
(Galatians. 5:14). “The People of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the
Ezekiel 22:29 poor and needy and mistreat the forigner, denying them justice”
But this is not a new
message. Jesus and the Hosea 10:12 ”Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love”
apostles are transmitting
the echo of the message “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of
proclaimed by the Micah 6:8 you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”
prophets. A message of
“This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy
justice and equitable and Zacariah 7:9- and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the
loving treatment of our 10 fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other”
fellow human beings
“So I will come to put you on trial […] against those who defraud laborers of their
(especially the needy and Malachi 3:5 wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners
helpless). among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty”
“Who, then, of these three do you think was the neighbor of the one who fell among the thieves?” (Luke 10:36)
Through a story that occurred between Jerusalem and Jericho, Jesus
showed the meaning of loving your neighbor: being merciful to him
and helping him in his need (Luke 10:30-36).
Confronted with his hypocrisy, the expert in the law had to reluctantly
acknowledge that his neighbor was not the one he liked, but the one
to whom he did good (Luke 10:37).
Our neighbor is not merely those who belong to the same church or
faith as us, but everyone who needs our help.
Mercy and goodness are beyond all religious, social, cultural, ethnic, or
any other kind of barrier.
Ellen G. White defines our neighbor this
way: “Our neighbor is every person who
needs our help. Our neighbor is every
soul who is wounded and bruised by the
adversary. Our neighbor is everyone
who is the property of God”
(The Desire of Ages, p. 503).
“To leave a suffering neighbor unrelieved is a
breach of the law of God.... He who loves God
will not only love his fellow men, but will regard
with tender compassion the creatures which
God has made. When the Spirit of God is in man
it leads him to relieve rather than to create
suffering.... We are to care for every case of
suffering, and to look upon ourselves as God's
agents to relieve the needy to the very
uttermost of our ability”
E. G. W. (Sons and Daughters of God, February 15)
WEEKLY CHALLENGE
Start praying daily for someone who
is different from you, or even for
someone you don't like personally.
ADVANCED CHALLENGE
Identify the emotional, physical, and social needs
of some non-Adventist acquaintances. Consider how
you can personally meet these needs.
What can you do to prune them practically over
the next week?
