Love God; love your neighbor

One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”
27 The man answered, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
28“Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”
29 The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.
31 “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. 32 A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
LUKE 10:25-37 NLT

How to begin loving your neighbor:

Notice them

Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. MARK 3:1 NLT

Accept them as they are

When he (Jesus) saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. MATTHEW 9:36 NLT

Be normal

So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. HEBREWS 13:9 NLT
Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. 1 THESSALONIANS 4:11 NLT

Be nice

Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. 1 PETER 2:12 NLT
Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. 1 PETER 3:11 NLT

Look for opportunities to help

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. COLOSSIANS 4:5 NLT
Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. GALATIANS 6:10 NLT

Remember them in your prayers

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 1 TIMOTHY 2:1 NLT

Be ready to share Jesus

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. 1 PETER 3:15-16 NLT

Community Group Discussion Guide

Who is invisible to you in your neighborhood?
What about you might make it difficult for your neighbors to connect with you?
In what practical ways can you be more helpful to your neighbors?
Have you ever prayed for your neighbors? How could you make that a regular habit?
Have you ever shared your faith with a neighbor? What happened?
1 Peter 3:15-16 tells us to “always be ready to explain” our faith. What do you need to do to prepare so you can “always be ready to explain” when the opportunity arises?

Personal Reflection Guide

Find a quiet place where you can be alone with God. Ask God if there is an “other” in your life who you struggle to notice and to love. Take a few moments and picture yourself in front of that person, paying attention to what happens in your heart as you look at them. What kinds of emotions come up for you? Now read slowly through Luke 10:33 and Matthew 9:36, paying attention to how Jesus and the Samaritan respond when they see the “other.” What would it look like for you to give up the emotions you confessed and allow yourself to feel compassion for your “other”? If you are willing, ask God to open that space within your heart. As you go through your week and run into opportunities to interact with and think about this person, pause for a moment and ask God again to open your heart to them.

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