Neighbor

Yes you are understanding correctly.

>Is there anybody who shouldn't be considered a neighbor?
not really we should love even our enemies and bless who curse us

Anybody who shows love to you or those you care about, even if he's one of those people. Jesus challenged the cultural belief of hating on Samaritans when he did this.

Tellyontellyon said:

Jesus said we must love our neighbor as ourselves. Then he gives a parable about the good Samaritan. I take this to mean that your neighbor is everybody.

Am I understanding this correctly?
Is there anybody who shouldn't be considered a neighbor?

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Good point. Jesus also said,

"But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ... 36 "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.[Luk 6:27, 36 NASB95]

Indeed very challenging.

Sketcher said:

Anybody who shows love to you or those you care about, even if he's one of those people. Jesus challenged the cultural belief of hating on Samaritans when he did this.

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I can go with that. Love without reserve those to whom
its due.

"Love' at first sight though, does not work. Love random strangers?

Im not going to love someone who deliberately harmed me.

Some compassion, maybe, depends.

Love though? What could that even mean?
Ive seen eyes light up with the joy of hurting me.

What an impossibility, such an unreasonable call, that
i should feel love, in return.

Did the Samaritan who aided the man attacked by robbers and left along the road "love" the man he helped? Probably not in the way we normally think about the word "love". But he treated him with compassion, caring about him and for him. That is what it means to love others. Treat someone, anyone, as you would want to be treated. We can't pick and choose who we want to be nice to, who we treat as neighbors. Jesus made it very clear that he meant everyone. Many people do that, but many more have a difficulty applying that commandment.

Estrid said:

I can go with that. Love without reserve those to whom
its due.

"Love' at first sight though, does not work. Love random strangers?

Im not going to love someone who deliberately harmed me.

Some compassion, maybe, depends.

Love though? What could that even mean?
Ive seen eyes light up with the joy of hurting me.

What an impossibility, such an unreasonable call, that
i should feel love, in return.

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Neighbors are not enemies, but if one is to love an enemy, he must be a very loving person, well practiced in loving his neighbor. Loving an enemy happens because you have so much love and justice in your heart, that you will not compromise either of them because of your enemy.

And if one of those people isn't harming you, but rather helping you and showing compassion to you, he isn't really your enemy.

Tellyontellyon said:

Jesus said we must love our neighbor as ourselves. Then he gives a parable about the good Samaritan. I take this to mean that your neighbor is everybody.

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We should always do our best to treat others properly: “...whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12, CSB); “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, NASB); “...maintain good conduct among the non-Christians, so that though they now malign you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears” (1st Peter 2:12, NET).

But the neighbours we must love as ourselves in particular are our brothers and sisters in Christ. “Love your neighbor as yourself” is a quote from Leviticus 19:18. The laws in this immediate passage explain how God’s chosen people are to treat one another.

This truth in context then follows through into the true Church. In each local assembly believers in Christ are to lovingly treat one another fairly and graciously.

Leviticus 19:18 is quoted in Romans 13:9 where Paul is telling believers to do “no wrong” to one another. In Galatians 5, where the Leviticus text is also quoted, God’s people are told to lovingly serve one another rather than be at one another’s throats.

Finally, in James 2 proper impartial conduct in church gatherings is enforced by quoting Leviticus 19:18. The believers are told not to make “distinctions among” themselves, “and become judges with evil motives” (v. 4).

How believers treat and love one another is really where the tyre touches the road. We’re not too good at it! We allow our own feelings to get in the way, especially when we are wronged.

Jesus said: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34, 35, NASB).

There is a difference between "should" and "must". We are not under the law.

The parable that Jesus gave was in answer to the question "who is our neighbor". The answer was that the Samaritan chose to be a neighbor to the injured man.

Jesus said that we would never cure poverty when he said that the poor you will have with you always. However, we can choose to help some by choosing to see them as neighbors.

SamInNi said:

We should always do our best to treat others properly: “...whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12, CSB); “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, NASB); “...maintain good conduct among the non-Christians, so that though they now malign you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears” (1st Peter 2:12, NET).

But the neighbours we must love as ourselves in particular are our brothers and sisters in Christ. “Love your neighbor as yourself” is a quote from Leviticus 19:18. The laws in this immediate passage explain how God’s chosen people are to treat one another.

This truth in context then follows through into the true Church. In each local assembly believers in Christ are to lovingly treat one another fairly and graciously.

Leviticus 19:18 is quoted in Romans 13:9 where Paul is telling believers to do “no wrong” to one another. In Galatians 5, where the Leviticus text is also quoted, God’s people are told to lovingly serve one another rather than be at one another’s throats.

Finally, in James 2 proper impartial conduct in church gatherings is enforced by quoting Leviticus 19:18. The believers are told not to make “distinctions among” themselves, “and become judges with evil motives” (v. 4).

How believers treat and love one another is really where the tyre touches the road. We’re not too good at it! We allow our own feelings to get in the way, especially when we are wronged.

Jesus said: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34, 35, NASB).

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Its good general advice but i would suppose God
would expect people to use their brains to act
in a reasoned, responsible manner, rather than
taking said advice as a rigid absolute.

Scenarios for exceptions being obvious.

SkyWriting said:

The Church is the whole body of believers. But everyone is your neighbor.

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The problem with this is if you go by the Good Samaritan parable, the neighbour is ''the one who showed mercy'' so that is an exclusive, not all inclusive group. Following on from that the sensible question would be why did the man have mercy or why will the neighbour have mercy on his kind? And I believe the Bible tells us. The love God has (1 John 4:19) for his friends had an effect on them that changed their heart and makes them a new creature. Yes, they do indeed have mercy but this is from God. How many Atheists love God? How many Muslims love Christians while they discriminate them in Islamic countries? Yep, Love for fellow Christians is a nature that comes from the love that God has for his people and in turn his people love him and the rest of Gods adopted children. We're a family joined by the same spirit that does not extend to people who have not been born of the spirit of God.

SkyWriting said:

Because the concept of "neighbor" has no connection to sin or repentance. The passage explains that all "others" are neighbors. And you took my post out of context by eliminating the direct answer you ask for:

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It has everything to do with repentance. All the people in the parable of the good Samaritan professed to believe in the God of Abraham Issac and Jacob, including the Samaritan. The thing that proved the Samaritan was one of Gods people was his mercy or heart. And how did he become that way? God performed in him that changed his heart. Being dead in sins God has bestowed the Grace that changes people into new creatures. And how do we know that really happened? Fruit of repentance (Matthew 3:7-9) or the result of saving faith. Which manifest in the type of Holy acts of goodness that were absent from the other unregenerate two men, despite their lineage.

SkyWriting said:

There are not two communities that get treated differently.

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Why is Jesus praying only for his people (John 17:9) and why is he only sacrificing himself for his people (John 10:15) then?

SkyWriting said:

Your neighbor is your brother. What you see has no value to God.

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When Moses decreed the original ''love thy Neigbour'' law, who was he talking to? The theocratic nation of Israel. The Hebrews were not bound to love Eqytians, Amorites, Hittites, Jebusites, Hivites, Perizzites, and Girgashites....they loved their brother and sister Israelites or Gods friends. Because not everyone was their neighbour.

In the New testament it talks about ''brothers'' but in what context? Church discipline is one.

Matthew 18
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. by the evidence of two or three witnesses. tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

How can you summon a non-believer to the church for reconciliation with their brother? Unless people outside the church are not brothers and sisters.

Tellyontellyon said:

Jesus said we must love our neighbor as ourselves. Then he gives a parable about the good Samaritan. I take this to mean that your neighbor is everybody.

Am I understanding this correctly?
Is there anybody who shouldn't be considered a neighbor?

Click to expand...

You are understanding it correctly. Jesus gives the parable of the Good Samaritan as an answer to the question, "Who is my neighbor?". The point is our neighbor is anyone and everyone. We are supposed to love everybody.

-CryptoLutheran

Estrid said:

Its good general advice but i would suppose God would expect people to use their brains to act
in a reasoned, responsible manner, rather than taking said advice as a rigid absolute.

Scenarios for exceptions being obvious.

Click to expand...

I think it IS an absolute. Jesus gave us no exceptions or ways out. Otherwise, we would pick who we treat as our neighbors and decide who we will be kind to and who we won't (which is what most people do now). People are so adept at bending and breaking the commandments, this one is easy to ignore. But we shouldn't, as it is one of the two key teachings Jesus gave his disciples.

Most religions that I am aware of have a similar teaching to "love your neighbor". Buddhism teaches about caring, nurturing, kindness and compassion as forms or types of love. Confucious taught the "golden rule". Jesus preached all of that. It seems to be universal in scope.

ViaCrucis said:

You are understanding it correctly. Jesus gives the parable of the Good Samaritan as an answer to the question, "Who is my neighbor?". The point is our neighbor is anyone and everyone. We are supposed to love everybody.

-CryptoLutheran

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With all due respect (and there isn't much due) as this message is little more than spam. I appreciate you have your own opinion and do not wish to take that from you but this post doesn't prove anything. Does it?

So you claim the good Samaritan parable is about universal love. And I won't concede that as you gave no justification for it. You are not obliged to give evidence but then it is simply subjective opinion.

Are you saying you love all people equally with no distinction? It makes no difference whether a person is a Christian or not? You just hold the person in equal status? I think that's unbiblical because Christians are commanded to a special type of love (John 13:34) for each other. Sure we can have compassion on non-Christians (Galatians 6:10) whilst maintaining the distinction but when the line is blurred and a generic form of love for both lost and saved is dispensed regardless, then I don't think that's love at all.

I've never really looked into this parable in any great depth, but I think that there may be some hidden aspects to this, which might repay some extra study.

1. It's a downward journey from Jerusalem to Jericho from higher geography to lower geography, but also in terms of going down from the city of God's presence, to the City of the curse.

2. Members of the priesthood who were traveling to minister in the temple, who would otherwise find the journey more direct to travel through Samaria, would intentionally travel via Jericho to avoid defiling themselves by travelling through Sameria on the way, and also become defiled by by the body of a almost dead man.

3. Was the the lawyer who was questioning Jesus, a ministering priest who would have understood that Jesus was making a point, which would not be missed. Also Jericho was a priestly city.

4. Was this parable intended also to be a pcture of the rapture, or even Christ's second coming, with the promise that he will come again. There is even more in this parable, if we have eyes to see it! The man who we assume to be a Jew, does not receive and help or salvation from the priest, or the levite, or by implication the jewish law which could never offer salvation from sin, but instead is saved by the kindness of a samaritan (a despised gentile), who is an illustration of salvation by grace alone.

ViaCrucis said:

You are understanding it correctly. Jesus gives the parable of the Good Samaritan as an answer to the question, "Who is my neighbor?". The point is our neighbor is anyone and everyone. We are supposed to love everybody.

-CryptoLutheran

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Through his other parables, stories and preaching, Jesus gives us more examples of what he meant. Love everyone, no exceptions. People don't like that commandment, since it is difficult to live up to. We prefer having favorites, we care more for people like us, and often those "better" than we are (who we can look up to and envy). Treat everyone, not just some, as you would want to be treated by others.

This is not debatable. There is no fudging, no "buts", no limitations. If this commandment is not clear to all, I worry about what they think of the other commandments. Oh, never mind, we already know the answer to that.

Trusting in Him said:

I've never really looked into this parable in any great depth, but I think that there may be some hidden aspects to this, which might repay some extra study.


4. Was this parable intended also to be a pcture of the rapture, or even Christ's second coming, with the promise that he will come again. There is even more in this parable, if we have eyes to see it! The man who we assume to be a Jew, does not receive and help or salvation from the priest, or the levite, or by implication the jewish law which could never offer salvation from sin, but instead is saved by the kindness of a samaritan (a despised gentile), who is an illustration of salvation by grace alone.

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I'm glad you're thinking about the situation. And I hope you keep thinking on the situation. It's important.

I need to say that the Samaritans were not Gentiles. As far as I am aware they were a mixed-race part Jewish people. And they believed (John 4:20) in the God of Abraham Issac and Jacob. The reason the Jews and Samaritans did not see eye to eye is when a Pagan nation, I think Assyrian nation overrun the Jews. Some Jews surrendered but some Jews resisted. The ''sell outs'' became the Samaritan people and mixed with the Assyrian population. But they still maintained the same God as before. So it really isn't a question of anything more than faith and how one acquires the faith. And of course not all people have faith.

John 4 is the place to study the Samaritan people from a Biblical perspective.

Martinius said:

Through his other parables, stories and preaching, Jesus gives us more examples of what he meant. Love everyone, no exceptions. People don't like that commandment, since it is difficult to live up to. We prefer having favorites, we care more for people like us, and often those "better" than we are (who we can look up to and envy). Treat everyone, not just some, as you would want to be treated by others.

This is not debatable. There is no fudging, no "buts", no limitations. If this commandment is not clear to all, I worry about what they think of the other commandments. Oh, never mind, we already know the answer to that.

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Show us in the Bible where Jesus commands Christians to ''love everyone''. Those are your words.

All Glory To God said:

I'm glad you're thinking about the situation. And I hope you keep thinking on the situation. It's important.

I need to say that the Samaritans were not Gentiles. As far as I am aware they were a mixed-race part Jewish people. And they believed (John 4:20) in the God of Abraham Issac and Jacob. The reason the Jews and Samaritans did not see eye to eye is when a Pagan nation, I think Assyrian nation overrun the Jews. Some Jews surrendered but some Jews resisted. The ''sell outs'' became the Samaritan people and mixed with the Assyrian population. But they still maintained the same God as before. So it really isn't a question of anything more than faith and how one acquires the faith. And of course not all people have faith.

John 4 is the place to study the Samaritan people from a Biblical perspective.

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Jews and Samaritans are one family or people
and each are neighbor to one another and must love one another. So also in the church we as members are neighbor to each other.

Martinius said:

I think it IS an absolute. Jesus gave us no exceptions or ways out. Otherwise, we would pick who we treat as our neighbors and decide who we will be kind to and who we won't (which is what most people do now). People are so adept at bending and breaking the commandments, this one is easy to ignore. But we shouldn't, as it is one of the two key teachings Jesus gave his disciples.

Most religions that I am aware of have a similar teaching to "love your neighbor". Buddhism teaches about caring, nurturing, kindness and compassion as forms or types of love. Confucious taught the "golden rule". Jesus preached all of that. It seems to be universal in scope.

Click to expand...

I disagree.
You believe we are not to use brains?

Do not steal a dime to save someones life?

Love someone who is torturing you for fun?

There is no absolute that does not have
situations where the greater harm is from
following them.