Kindness and Gratitude in the Neighborhood!Sample

AS THE NEIGHBORHOOD EXPANDS, KINDNESS AND GRATITUDE EXPAND

Yes, we all have a circle close to home, but when God relayed the accounting of the Good Samaritan, He had more than our immediate neighborhood in mind.  Who is your neighbor?  If someone asked me that randomly, I would probably say Lynne, Ardella, Micki, Jo and leave it at that.  But neighborhoods expand!

Recently, we have added a couple to our neighborhood. Brian and Kris, and they have been a delight!  Going beyond the block are more neighbors.  Neighbors at work, neighbors at school, neighbors at church; wherever there are people, we see neighbors.  Some we know, and some we do not. Yet, God still sees them as our neighbors.  How can we be neighbors for Christ in the world?  The truth is, we cannot be to all people, but when someone comes across our path, we can be because now they are in our neck of the woods, whether we know them or not.

In the story of the Good Samaritan, one would expect the Priest or the Rabbi to help.  The man lay naked, beaten by a robber in the road, but the two you would think would have helped them were not the ones who took the time.  It was a Samaritan, someone like you and me!

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

On one occasion, an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life? What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and “Love your neighbor as yourself.  You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this, and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so 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 donkey, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  The next day he took out two denarii[c] 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.”  Luke 10:25-37

CAN YOU RELATE?

I hope as you completed this plan, that you can see how it all begins with one individual; reaching out to those around us.  As we reach out, the joy spreads and before you know it, those around you are reaching back.  Yet it goes beyond our immediate neighbor into a society that is filled with neighbors.  People who have needs just like you and me.  If your church has a need, offer.  If they need someone to clean a home, offer.  If you see a needy person on the street corner with a sign, don’t hand them money, rather keep food gift cards in your glove box or fresh protein bars to hand to them.  There are countless ways to be a good neighbor, so let us be obedient to Jesus's last command in this scripture: “Go and do likewise!”

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