Won't You Be My Neighbor-Love Your Neighbor
What do people look for in you, and do they find it?
The scripture is always listed on the bulletin, so I find it on my Logos app, copy it, and paste it into OneNote while waiting for the service to start. If I have time, I read through it and make whatever comments come to mind as I’m reading it. My notes simply stated Heaven, Hell, and a chasm separating the two were involved. Additionally, when “Moses and the Prophets” are mentioned, that is the Old Testament to us, and the last verses talk about Jesus. In summation, people won’t change their minds if reading the Bible doesn’t change their minds, and someone already rose from the dead to tell them to change their minds, but they’ve decided to be skeptical and ignore Him, too.
Pastor Joe Palmer gave the message today, back after a trip to the Holy Land and quarantine from COVID. He opened with a video of Mr. Rogers singing “Many Ways.” It was about some of the many ways children can say I love you to people. After the video, Pastor Joe opened with a question, “What is it about my neighbor that doesn’t meet the eye?”
He quoted a saying Mr. Roger’s mother used to tell him, “Look for the helpers.” Mr. Rogers and Pastor Joe’s opening focused on the idea that loving others is the most important part of being alive. I would add the implication if it wasn’t stated outright in the sermon, that it is the most important part of being alive for a Christian. I suppose it would be as well for all people, given we are all God’s children, but many would discount that idea out of hand who are not followers of Jesus.
It was at this point the scripture was read. Here it is for today.
18“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.
19“Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day.
20“And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores,
21and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.
22“Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.
23“In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.
24“And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’
25“But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.
26‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’
27“And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house—
28for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29“But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’
30“But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’
31“But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
Luke 16:18–31 (NASB95)
Pastor Joe went into a story about Mr. Rogers as a child in school that resonated with me very much. Usually, Fred Rogers rode to and from school with the family driver. His parents were very well-to-do. On one occasion, he decided to walk home from school. Bullies followed him, called him names, and tried to beat him up. He found refuge in a kindly widow’s house on that occasion. As a kid in middle school, I had this same problem, but for different reasons. On one occasion, I ran from the bus stop toward home but wasn’t going to make it, so I knocked on the door of a neighbor’s house. The bullies got to me and punched me a few times before running off when the door opened, laughing. Kids never change in school.
This story dovetails well with the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man.
Pastor Joe tied people running from God’s ways to the unnamed Rich Man. He suggested we read all of Luke 16 because the parable prior to the one about Lazarus and the Rich Man was about the unjust steward. Jesus knew the Pharisees were listening when He began to speak about Lazarus and the Rich Man. While the parable of the Unjust Steward was for His disciples, Pastor Joe suggested the story about Lazarus the Rich Man was for the eavesdropping Pharisees. Why? Specifically, because the Rich Man is a man of faith, but he gets it wrong. How does the Rich Man get it wrong, and how is that convicting to us today? Because it was very convicting for me.
The Rich Man lives in today for the things of today. He eats well, and he lives comfortably. He avoids going places where he will have to see or feel bad about not helping those in need. In short, he insulates himself from his neighbor and those he could be helping. How do we know that from such a short series of passages? Because we are given Lazarus and his predicament outside the Rich Man’s gates. The rich man clearly knows who Lazarus is because he sees him in heaven after dying and calls him by his name. We know the Rich Man is a man of faith because he also knows who Father Abraham is and calls on him, asking him to send Lazarus to him. However, we also know that the Rich Man gets it wrong because he wants Lazarus to serve him even after death. Instead of asking Abraham to have mercy on him, release him from his torment, or let him get water, he wants Lazarus to bring it to him.
Everyone who hears this parable immediately has two thoughts, I suspect. First, they recognize that the Rich Man is in a bad place and a bad way in Hell and don’t want to be there themselves. Second, I’ll wager many people begin soothing their conscience, explaining how they are not the Rich Man in the story, but that might be hasty. It was in my case.
9But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.
10For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
11But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.
12Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:9–12 (NASB95)
How do those passages relate to the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man?
We do it to ourselves, which is how they relate. We are fallen human beings. We live in the world of the flesh. We hope, plan, and dream of fun and pleasurable things in this life, but those are not what lay up for us comfort in eternity.
19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19–21 (NASB95)
To put it in the vernacular of the sermon series, are we pursuing things that are fun for us, or are we pursuing things that help our neighbor? Do we volunteer at church, serve MUST dinner once or twice a year, and think, “Yep, I’m good now. All good for me?” The Rich Man from Jesus’ parable was aimed at the religious leaders of the day who kept God’s Law, knew it well, and did all the things asked of them, yet they were empty vessels destined for the Rich Man’s reward in Hell. Are we in their shoes, too?
Pastor Joe continued to harp on the phrase from 1 Timothy 6:10, “pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (from the KJV.) His point was that we do this to ourselves when we put the pleasures of this world before the word of God to love one another. Jesus is telling this parable not to change his disciples but to convince the Pharisees to repent and change, to love their neighbor as themselves, and to meet their needs.
This moved me greatly. I do not volunteer outside of what church and my small group require of me. I should. For a long time, I have felt a pull toward specific areas but have ignored them. Soon, very soon, I will have to make a change. I cannot continue as I have. Why? Because of Lazarus and the Rich Man.
I say frequently, and it is a saying I heard from Rob Bell in his video Everything is Spiritual (the only video from him I recommend.) “What you look for, you will find.” His point, and mine, is that if you look for people breaking God’s law, you will find it. If you look for people who love their neighbor, you will find it. What are you looking for? I have been looking for the former, people breaking God’s Law, and I find it everywhere I turn. It is quite demoralizing.
That idea becomes very convicting in the context of the parable of Lazarus. It is convicting because we all have the power of forgiveness, as discussed in previous lessons. We all have the power to condemn, too. Let’s change that around now and ask this, “What other people are looking for in me, they will find.” So, what are they looking for in me, and what are they finding?
18“Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.
19“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.
20“For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”
Matthew 18:18–20 (NASB95)
Are people seeing me and binding mercy to me, or are they seeing me and binding condemnation to me? Will Jesus honor their condemnation that they see or my desire for mercy? That is also a scary concept given scripture as well.
1“Do not judge so that you will not be judged.
2“For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
3“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
4“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye?
5“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
Matthew 7:1–5 (NASB95)
In what way do I judge when I look for the people who are breaking God’s law? If that’s what I’m looking for, and it has been, that’s what will be looked for when I’m judged. I will not detail what they will find in these lines because most of it fills me with shame. If they look at me the way I’ve been looking at the world, and we put that in the context of the Rich Man and Lazarus, I am in big trouble.
How do we get out of this predicament? I’m not saying you are in the situation I am. I’m asking a question. How do we correct this? We start with our neighbor. We start with treating them the way we would want to be treated. How do we do that?
26For the Lord will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught.
27Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it.
28Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you.
Proverbs 3:26–28 (NASB95)
If someone has a need, and you have it to give, give it. If giving up the thing, whatever IT is, would harm you or your family, don’t give it. However, if you have two coats and are asked to give up one. That’s the point. Don’t let it be a thing that must be asked for, either. If you see a need and can fill it, fill it. The grocery bags we are doing for our church are a great step in this direction. If you are not a member of my church, consider going out and filling up a grocery bag with essentials and donating them. The list we were given is as follows:
Canned chicken or tuna
Spaghetti Sauce
Canned fruit
Peanut butter
Oatmeal packets
I would add to that noodles for the sauce, too.
Pastor Joe began to wrap up by asking a closing question, “Do we know these things as head truths only, or do we act on them?”
His point about “head truths” is that we nod in agreement and say all the right words affirming the statements as right, but we don’t do anything with them. In part, that’s why Monday Mornings With Jesus exists at all. I took notes in church on the message for a long time but never did anything with them. Now, I look up all the scripture I scribble about, answer all the questions that occur to me, and share what comes to mind with you all. My notes are no longer “head truths” but are fruitful. So, what are your “head truths” that spawn no action?
15“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16“You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
17“So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18“A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
19“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20“So then, you will know them by their fruits.
Matthew 7:15–20 (NASB95)
By their fruits, ye shall know them. What you look for, you will find. What do others look for? Will they find it? I have got to make a change. I write small group study and lesson material and put it out there like I know what I’m talking about. I should act on it. In these pages for the coming year in 2024, there will be some changes in the form of added content. Some of it will be over the paywall, and some on the free side. I need to change and grow. I cannot do that in a vacuum. You will be dragged along for the ride. I hope you will stick around and join me. God bless and Godspeed.
Mark, that was a powerful, convicting sermon by Pastor Joe. Thank you for the excellent recap and for sharing your thoughts about the message. It's definitely a message that I needed to hear and one that I need to act on.