Sermons
July 14 and 15
Sermon
July 14-15, 2007
Deuteronomy 30:9-14; Luke 10:25-37
Neighbors Near
Hillary T. West
Recently, police in Washington, D.C., reported a one-of-a-kind robbery. It included a glass of wine and a group hug!
It seems that a family was hosting a festive dinner for friends on the back patio of their home on Capital Hill. An armed man wearing a hooded jacket slipped in through the open gate and demanded money. Shocked at the sudden turn of events, the party froze. Finally, one guest blurted out to the robber, “we’re just finishing dinner…why don’t you have a glass of wine with us.” Much to the surprise of the partiers, the robber enjoyed a sip of wine and some tasty cheese. Relaxing his guard, and looking around at the guests, the robber offered up an apology. ‘“I’m sorry,” he told the group. ‘Can I get a hug?’” One by one folks approached the robber and gave him a hug. Eventually they all surrounded the intruder embracing him. The evening ended with the intruder leaving, the guests departing, and the home owner telephoning the police. It appears that nothing was stolen, and no one was hurt. But, police say it was a legitimate robbery attempt. Later in the evening, as investigators were searching the grounds for any clues as to the identity of the would be robber, they were surprised to find, sitting wiped clean on the ground of the alley behind the house, one crystal wine glass, in perfect condition.
An amazing story isn’t it? Not at all what we’d expect.
The very familiar story of the Good Samaritan that we hear today from the gospel of Luke catches us up short as well. Again, it’s not what we would expect. Jesus, is surrounded by his followers who have just returned from preaching, teaching and healing in his name. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he blesses them. In their work, they have come to know the full presence of the kingdom of God.
Now, a lawyer, a man well equipped in the law is anxious to press some questions upon Jesus. Lawyers in Jesus’ time understood the law as two-fold. They’re experts in civil law as well as religious law. This man knows scripture. But, clearly he’s looking for answers. So, he asks Jesus, or maybe he’s testing Jesus, trying to trip him up, as any good prosecuting attorney might do, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” he asks. “How do I live a life in God’s kingdom?” Knowing that the lawyer knows the ancient law, Jesus demands that he recite it. The lawyer responds, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Three loves: God, Neighbor and Self. It’s that simple. But not to the lawyer. Once more he asserts himself, continuing to pressure Jesus. “Who is my neighbor?”
Who is our neighbor? The word neighbor, in Greek, pliseon (ple-see-on), stems from the words near, close by. Scripture defines neighbors as those who defend those who are wronged; those who serve to please; those who speak the truth; those who act out of love.
Years ago, when Freddie and I were first married we lived outside of Warrenton, Virginia in a log cabin. Our closest neighbors were at least 15 minutes away and we had nothing in common with them. Bob and his wife grew up in the hills of West Virginia. We’re from Philadelphia. He’s a career officer in the Marines. Freddie had a high number in the lottery and never served. At the time, Bob and his wife had 2 young, active boys. We hadn’t even thought about having a family. They spent their free time plowing, planting and harvesting their small farm. We were excited to get geraniums in a pot and then charge off to Washington at every spare minute! But, somehow, our paths crossed and we linked up.
The truth is, Freddie and I needed them. They reached out. They taught us how to care for the 10 acres of land where we lived. They came and got us in their 4 wheel drive trucks when the snow was too deep for us to get our Volkswagen out of the driveway. They widened our understanding of the military with their stories. They laughed at our inability to cope in the country when we lost electricity, well water and heat. And they happily came to our rescue. Our new neighbors were not the people we would have chosen. They don’t look or act or think like the neighbors we have now. But, somehow, it didn’t seem to matter. They crossed the boundaries for neighborliness and came near. Through Bob, and his family, because they took the bold steps to be our neighbors, regardless of our incompatibilities, we had glimpses of the kingdom of God. Their compassion and care propelled them to go and do.
Jesus often teaches in parables. You know all about parables. They’re short narratives, that usually have a basic message about property, or traveling, or food, or things lost, or things found. But, Jesus always intends for us to draw a deeper understanding from the parable. A lesson that may be multi-leveled and takes us on a journey where we interact with the Holy and where we come to discover the kingdom of God. I think that Jesus teaches in parables so that we’ll have an aha, an epiphany, about the glory of God in our lives.
So, Jesus tells the pushy lawyer about a man, walking from Jerusalem to Jericho. Now, we know that the road is a 17 mile rough terrain. The descent is a steep drop of at least 3300 feet. Rocky crevices along the road serve as a perfect hiding spot for robbers. The victim is a certain man and is identified only as that: a certain man. We assume that he’s Jewish because he’s in Jewish territory. However, when we meet him, he’s been stripped, and left for dead. No discernable clothes or markings tell us what neighborhood he’s from, what his profession is, or how well educated he might be. His only identity is that he has been victimized. Along comes a priest and then a Levite. They’re the church leaders, trained to serve as examples for how God intends for us to live. Their primary function is to administer the sacrificial rites and perform rituals in the temple and to teach and uphold the divine law. They may well live in Jericho and may be returning from a busy morning of leading worship, teaching Sunday School classes and caring for their congregation. They might be hurrying along to get home to spend time with their family. Each, on their individual journey, sees the man in the ditch. They cross over to the other side, passing right by him. We don’t know why they don’t show compassion and reach out to help. But, perhaps, thinking the man to be dead, they’re honoring the Jewish Law that none should make themselves unclean by touching the corpse of one of his people (Leviticus 21:1b). Maybe they sense danger along the road. Or other demands in their vocation are calling them.
Eventually, along comes a Samaritan. We know Samaritans because they’re the ones we hate. Under no circumstances do we want to accept help from these folks. They’re not part of the group. They’re excluded. They’re not welcome in the temple. They have different beliefs about the interpretation of scripture and about worship, especially the cleanliness of vessels. (This could be an issue for the altar guild). Samaritans also believe that the one place to worship God, is not Jerusalem, the holiest of holies, but Mt. Gerizim the highest of all mountains the one place where heaven and earth meet. Such insubordination is intolerable for the Jews. Even though the Samaritans, share the same heritage as the Jews, they’re considered foreigners, alienated. And yet, it is the Samaritan who crosses over the pathway, breaks through the conventional boundaries and comes near, and chooses to act because his heart is filled with compassion. The victim does not protest. Nor does he discriminate. The Samaritan is there to help and the desperate man accepts.
Not only does he offer to help, but the Samaritan turns out to be a hero. He’s resourceful, knowledgeable and generous. Bandaging the man’s wounds, he pours wine to kill the infection and oil to keep the skin from tightening. Carrying the man on his horse, they travel to an inn. Having already paid the innkeeper 2 days wages, the Samaritan proves to be credible. So, there’s no objection when the Samaritan requests that the wounded man remain until his return, where he will recover all expenses.
Jesus’ parable startles and provokes as he finishes with a multiple choice question: “which of the three proved to be a neighbor?” Not which of the three was most qualified or most trained? But who chooses to come near, to come close by? The one who, in their heart, feels the ache, the hurt and rejection of their neighbor and is propelled into action. The one who bravely crosses over the boundary lines, and goes way outside of their comfort zone to help because they know that God is tugging, saying, go…, regardless of our limitations. The one who moves with the hands and feet of Jesus.
Go, and do the same, Jesus demands. Step over the walls, break down those barriers that prevent us from loving one another as Jesus loves us. Know God’s love for us in loving our neighbor.
And, there’s more. Neighboring is reciprocal. It’s a two way street. Loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves also means that we must be open to receiving help.
We don’t have to stay in the ditch, cast off, worn out, stripped of all that identifies us. Jesus is there to rescue us. He comes as the one hated, and rejected. But, he has overcome such pain through his death and resurrection. He comes, for us. His love and mercy pouring out, he reaches out and lifts us up and carries us to safety. Accept his love, his compassion. Be filled with it. Let him heal, restore and nurture so that we can go and do the same. Be neighbors. Come close. It’s risky and intimate and loving. This is Jesus, near by, with us, allowing us to go… Amen.
