LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR
 
 

Who is my neighbour? Well, I don’t know. I know he has a white Maruti car. He leaves home in the morning like me and returns late. He has a wife and two kids - A happy family that minds its own business. But I don’t know who they are.
 
Can you identify yourself with this person? Most of us who live in cities can. We are all busy with our own genuine things. We see our neighbours every day, sometimes happy, other times sad. But we don’t have the time to stop and find out what’s going on. At the most it’s a “Hi - Bye” relationship.

WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR?
The Bible emphasizes loving others. Jesus in his discourses spoke at length about this. Jesus taught that the one who is in need is our neighbour and that we should care for our neighbours. Once a teacher of the religious law came up to Jesus.

“Teacher”, he asked, “What must I do to receive eternal life?” Jesus answered him, “What do the Scriptures say? How do you interpret them?” The man answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and Love your neighbour as you love yourself.” “You are right”, Jesus replied; “do this and you will live.” But the teacher of the Law wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbour?”

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Jesus answered, “There was once a man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when robbers attacked him, stripped him, and beat him up, leaving him half dead. It so happened that a priest was going down that road; but when he saw the man, he walked on by, on the other side. In the same way a Temple worker also came along, went over and looked at the man, and then walked on by, on the other side. “But a man from Samaria who was traveling that way came upon this man, and when he saw him, his heart was filled with pity. (The Jews looked down up on the people of Samaria.

They were considered untouchables and often ill treated). He went over to him, poured olive oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them; then he put the man on his own animal and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he took out some money and gave it to the innkeeper. ‘Take care of him’, he told the innkeeper, ‘and when I come back this way, I will pay you whatever else you spend on him.’”

And Jesus concluded, “In your opinion, which one of these three acted like a neighbour towards the man attacked by the robbers?” The religious teacher answered, “The one who was kind to him.” Jesus replied, “You go, then, and do the same.” (Luke 10:25b-37)

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES:
Jesus taught His followers to love and not to ill-treat anyone, even those who do harm to them. He talked about loving enemies instead of hating them.

“But I tell you who hear me: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who ill-treat you. If anyone hits you on one cheek, let him hit the other one too; if someone takes your coat, let him have your shirt as well. Give to everyone who asks you for something, and when someone takes what is yours, do not ask for it back. Do for others just what you want them to do for you.

“If you love only the people who love you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners do that! And if you lend only to those from whom you hope to get it back, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount! No! Love your enemies and do good to them; lend and expect nothing back. You will then have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High God. For he is good to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful just as our Father in Heaven is merciful.” (Luke 6:27,35,36)

IS IT POSSIBLE & PRACTICAL?
Well, it sounds good. But is it practical? How can we humans who are so much used to “love those who love us and hate those who hate us” philosophy can behave in a different manner. It is very difficult for us, human beings, to love our enemies. Only God can do it. The Bible teaches that when we experience God’s love then we can reflect His love to others even to our enemies.

“This is what love is: it is not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the means by which our sins are forgiven. Dear friends, if this is how God loved us, then we should love one another. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in union with us, and his love is made perfect in us.” (1John 4:9-12)

This is a call to be different from the rest of the crowd. We need to experience God’s love first to show love to our neighbours and also to those who hate us. Those who practice this can make a difference in their social environment and eventually lead the way to a better society, a better country and a better world.

The quotations are from the Bible. The references are given within the brackets.