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Like a good neighbor, Jesus is there
1. Like a good neighbor, Jesus is there
One should love God
and love thy neighbor (as thyself). Both are needed.
Who is thy neighbor? Jesus answers this question in the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10.
Consider Jesus and the Bible. How might the mandate to "
love thy neighbor as thyself" differ from the mandate "
won't you be a neighbor"? The subtle difference is interesting and is why "
as thyself" is both needed and important and what might be "
new" at the Last Supper.
The ancient Greek word
"πλησίον" ≈ "near, neighbor".
2. Like a good neighbor
The title "
Like a good neighbor, Jesus is there." is a play on the slogan "
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.", a slogan of the State Farm Insurance company at
https://www.statefarm.com/. (as of 2022-04-25)
3. Good hands
Another insurance company slogan is "
You're in good hands" from Allstate insurance company at
https://www.allstate.com/. (as of 2022-04-25)
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Details are left as a future topic.
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4. Won't you be my neighbor
The song "
Won't you be my neighbor" was the theme song of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood TV show which ran from 1968 to 2001.
It is also the name of a 2018 documentary on Fred Rogers, the creator and host of the TV show.
5. Who is my neighbor?
What are the two most important rules in the Bible? In Luke 10, the lawyer and Jesus both agree.
Luke 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. [kjv]
Both are needed. Who is thy neighbor? Jesus answers this question in the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. The short answer is that anyone "
nearby" is your neighbor.
6. Alternatives
Let us look at similarity and difference of two ways of expressing an idea.
Love thy neighbor as thyself.
Won't you be a neighbor.
The subtle difference is both interesting and important.
7. God and neighbor
It is important to note that both are needed.
"Love God"
"Love neighbor as yourself" (the yourself part is important)
8. Love your neighbor 1
When in a neighborhood, one must start to think, "
How can I love my neighbor as myself?".
9. Love your neighbor 2
Within the context of "
Love my God" and the rules associated with that, ask yourself the following question.
How would I want my neighbor to interact and treat me?
This is always in the context of "
Love my God". Anything not appropriate, as in a "
sin", would not be considered.
That is why the "
yourself" part of "
Love your neighbor as yourself" is important.
10. Love your neighbor 3
Within the context of "
Love my God", one then interacts with and treats others in that way.
11. Be a neighbor 1
Now consider the phrase "
Won't you be a neighbor?".
This requires one to try the imagine everything that a neighbor might want me to do. This is hard in itself.
Some of those things may be in line with "
Love my God" but some may not be in line with "
Love my God".
12. Be a neighbor 2
Now imagine everything that a neighbor might want me to do.
Some of those things may be in line with "
Love my God" but some may not be in line with "
Love my God".
13. Be a neighbor 3
Now try to do those things. The task is daunting. There is a more important issue here.
Some of those things may be in line with "
Love my God" but some may not be in line with "
Love my God".
The guidance "
be a neighbor" requires one to know a lot and may lead one to condone or commit sin.
14. Pleasing people
You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time. Abraham Lincoln (16th U.S. President)
Poet John Lydgate said this, but Lincoln adapted it and made it popular.
15. Jesus and Peter
At the foot washing by Jesus, Peter asks for more than what is offered by Jesus.
There may be requests from "neighbors" that do not fit what needs to be done.
16. Sin
One is not to participate in sin, one is not to condone sin. In Revelation, Jesus says that he "
hates sin".
Revelation 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. [kjv]
The important issue here is to appropriately define sin and what to do about it.
17. Psalms 1: Here come the pigs
Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, and has not stood in the way of sinners, and has not sat in the seat of evil men. [bs3]
μακιαριος ανηρ ος ουκ επορευθη εν βουλη ασεβων και εν οδω αμαρτωλων ουκ εστη και επι καθεδραν λοιμων ουκ εκαθισεν [lxx]
Psalms 1 presents an interesting bottom-up forward-chaining progression of the toleration and acceptance of sin. It is a slippery slope. From the "
not" and "
nor", there are three ways to
avoid.
1. walking in the counsel of the ungodly (associate like "fish")
2. standing with (in the way of) sinners (condone like "pigs")
3. sitting in the seat of scornful (participate like "birds")
Barnabas makes these connections but Jesus uses each of "
fish", "
pigs", "
birds" and "
sheep" (and others) in corresponding roles.
The word for "
walked" is the same word that is translated as "
go" in the mandate of the
Great Commission.
18. Distinction
One must be very careful that in "
being a neighbor" one does not violate the primary rules that one both "
Love my God" and "
Love my neighbor as myself".
19. End of page
