LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR (AND EVERYONE ELSE)

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Do not testify against your neighbor without cause—would you use your lips to mislead? Do not say, “I’ll do to them as they have done to me; I’ll pay them back for what they did.”

Proverbs 24:28-29        

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Do you have neighbors?

I do and I have to say it’s what makes living in my neighborhood such a joy.

We’re just surrounded by wonderful people who always are there to support us and one another, always quick to share a kind word or do a kind deed. I love all of them, those I proudly refer to not only as my neighbors but also my friends. Maybe you can relate.

If you know the scriptures, they are rife with references to neighbors which include guidance on how we are to treat them and how we are to be a good neighbor ourselves. Consider the following:

Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. Leviticus 19:13

Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. Leviticus 19:16

Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”— when you already have it with you. Proverbs 3:28

Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you. Proverbs 3:29

It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor. Proverbs 14:21

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^” Matthew 22:36-38

He asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’”

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”  Luke10:29-37

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. Exodus 20:16-17

We can add to these scriptures the wise words of Solomon from our two verses from the 24th Chapter of Proverbs which echo the very commandment God gave to the Israelites via Moses at Mount Sinai during their exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land (Exodus 20:16).

Do not testify against your neighbor without cause—would you use your lips to mislead? Do not say, “I’ll do to them as they have done to me; I’ll pay them back for what they did.” Proverbs 24:28-29

Solomon’s words touch on two key subjects when it comes to dealing with our neighbors.

First is the matter of false testimony. There have been more than a few neighborhoods rocked by feuds between neighbors after one falsely accused another of doing something. God’s word is crystal clear from Proverbs and elsewhere in the Bible. We are never to allow our lips to speak words that mislead or deceive. Such action is simply sinful wickedness and the Lord will simply not stand for it.

The other sinful behavior we can adopt against our neighbors comes in our actions toward them. For even if our neighbor has done wrong to us, we are not to reciprocate the wrong against them. There is to be no payback.

Jesus had this to say about the matter:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” Matthew 5:38-42

His words offset an earlier Old Testament word that simply instructed people to:

Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. Deuteronomy 19:21

Jesus brought a new attitude as He made a new covenant with God’s people, both Jew and Gentile. The new attitude was centered not on revenge but forgiveness, not on getting even but in getting saved, not on anger but rather on love.

We’re to simply love one another, loving not only as we love ourselves but even more so in the way the Lord loves us.

If we do this, we will love everyone unconditionally, including our neighbors. Think of how much better a world we would live in if we did just that.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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PRIORITIZING PROPERLY

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.

Proverbs 24:27        

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

I’m currently taking my final college class required for me to earn my Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology through Old Dominion University. It’s been something I have been working on since 2001 and I am more than excited to finally have reached the finish line.

Why has it taken me so long?

Well, those who know me or have been faithful readers of The Christian Walk know I spent the larger part of my life, 28 ½ years to be exact, serving my country in the United States Navy. That service commitment often had me on ships and going on deployments that took me away from home quite often, away from my family and away from being able to pursue my degree.

We find quickly in our adult lives that there will be any number of demands placed on our time, demands which require us to have to prioritize as to what we have to do and what we have to wait to do. Success in life is often predicated on how well we prioritize properly.

I was reminded of this a few days ago in the framework of this final course I am taking. It’s a Capstone Research Project and is different from any other class I have done to date. What makes it that way is that it is a group project with the final grade determined by the overall group effort. Add to this that it is a distance learning class and you can quickly see the challenges involved. I mean, how do you get a group of people to come together when you aren’t meeting in person?

Well, since I have a lot of leadership experience, I agreed to lead the group over this semester as we develop a topic, research the topic, and then produce our findings in a presentation to the Professor, hopefully gaining a good grade in the end. I have to say the leadership challenge has been to try and get everyone connected virtually and on the same page. For the most part, I had done that but there were a couple of group members who had not communicated or participated. As I submitted our first group assignment, I had to tell the Professor the names of the group members who had not yet been involved.

After I had done this, I received an e-mail from one of those who had failed to participate. She apologized for not having made contact before then but explained that she had an eight month old daughter who had gotten sick and she had to take care of her, thus not enabling her to participate until then.

I paused for a moment and then wrote a reply telling her simply that she had done the right thing. Her daughter should have been her primary concern, a child that God had created and entrusted to her care. There was plenty of time for her to make significant contributions. The main thing was her daughter was getting well and for that I was thankful.

This student had her priorities right and her actions showed that. Ignoring her child for a college class would have been nothing short of neglect and there’s no doubt in my mind that the Lord will take action on anyone who neglects or abuses any of His precious children.

I highlight these two examples of making decisions on priorities because it’s really the focal point of the following verse of wisdom from Solomon as we continue to study his brilliantly crafted words from the Book of Proverbs. Look again at the key verse for today:

Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house. Proverbs 24:27

Here the word of the Lord is exhorting us to prioritize properly. Before one builds a house, they should have the means by which to pay for the house. This is why they should be out working to get the fields ready so a harvest and its associated income can be produced before the house is even built. It would be foolish to build the house first and then try and figure out how to pay for it afterwards.

It makes sense, right?

So as we live life and have to choose between what seems to be an ever present set of options to select from, how can we ensure that we are always prioritizing properly?

Relying on our own wisdom and intellect is definitely not the right answer, that’s for sure.

For only the Lord will always guide us to do the right thing at the right time. Only He can show us what needs done first and what needs to wait. This is because only His will and way is perfectly right and righteous.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and rely not on your own understanding. It’s a continuing theme of this important book of wisdom and one we need to cherish and hold onto.

For the Lord will never lead us wrong. Ever.

Won’t you give Him thanks today for that truth?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com

THE PLEASURE OF HONESTY

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.

Proverbs 24:26        

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Is there anything as loving as a kiss?

I don’t know about you but there is something innately special about the contact of lips, one unto the other. Whether it’s to seal an uniquely intimate love between two people choosing to be companions for life or to continue a legacy of kisses between parents and children that began the moment that child was placed in their parent’s arms or to mark the affection felt between close friends, the kiss is unrivaled in the love, joy and pleasure that it brings when exchanged between two people.

The scriptures talk about the kiss and encourage us to use in it our fellowship with others. Look at these particular exhortations:

Greet one another with a kiss of love. 1 Peter 5:14

Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss. 1 Thessalonians 5:26

Greet one another with a holy kiss. Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12

Such was the warm, tender, caring nature of the kiss and the special significance it had when exchanged between two people. This is why Jesus had this to say to His betrayer, Judas:

While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” Luke 22:47-48

Judas, who could have chosen any number of means to deceive and show his unfaithfulness toward Jesus, violated the very intimate nature of the kiss through his dishonest attitude and infidelity toward the One who had chosen him to be one of the Twelve.

Of interest today is one small proverb from Solomon as we tie together the intended nature of the kiss and the abusive use of it by Judas. Look at this verse:

An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips. Proverbs 24:26

There has been an old saying around for some time now that goes like this:

“Honesty is the best policy.”

When it comes to not only dealing with others, but doing so knowing the Lord is watching our every move, this saying is one we should always adopt. There is no room for dishonesty in life for when we get right down to it, it’s nothing but sinful and wicked. I mean, how else could you describe what Judas did to Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, setting the wheels turning that led to Jesus being crucified on Calvary’s cross? Betrayal is dark and bitter and evil, unpleasing to whoever experiences it.

Honesty on the other hand has a sweetness that Solomon compares to a kiss on the lips. There’s something amazingly refreshing and exciting when we experience honesty, isn’t there?

For example, you’re at the store and the cashier gives you too much money back in the exchange. You stop and tell them what happened, making the transaction right by returning what wasn’t rightfully yours. The cashier smiles at you and thanks you for your honesty. That smile is the same as if they had just been given a loving kiss from someone else. 

Maybe you’re out and you see someone walking toward a store and fumbling around in their purse while they’re walking. You see some money fall onto the ground unbeknownst to the person who continues to walk forward. You hurry forward, pick up the money, and then rush to the person returning it. The person looks at you with amazement, touched by your honesty. You could have kept the money and no one would have known any different, no one except the person who would later be unable to find their cash and the Lord who watched the matter unfold from the start. The person who got their money back gushes with gratitude, marveling at your integrity. You are smiling with an inner warmth that can only come from the Holy Spirit within you sending a message that you had done well and that the Lord was well pleased.

These are just a couple of examples that can and do happen, examples that display the power and pleasure that comes from honesty, honesty that when exercised, is as Solomon describes, like a kiss on the lips. 

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com