Fields United Methodist Church

Thoughts Along the Way

Pastor Tom Joyce

February 4, 2022

“Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The One who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “go, and do likewise.”

Luke 10:36-37

In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, the lawyer wanted a definition of who could be classified as his “neighbor.” Jesus, as is always the case, does not define people in terms of geography, demographics, politics, nationality, or religion. There are entire industries surrounding categorizing people; even hospitals ask patients about nationality and race, but not Jesus. Categories have a tendency to separate God’s people and the business of Jesus is celebrating the unity of the Body of Christ, not to cause separations. In the movie, “Land,” Edee’ just wanted to be alone and not bothered by humanity which in her experience was quite violent and uncaring. While being alone in a broken down cabin with no electricity in the middle of nowhere, she passed out from hunger and exhaustion. Miguel, a local hunter saw her need, stopped and cared for her and taught her how to live on her own in the unyielding mountains. When Edee’ asked why Miguel helped her, his response was simple, “you were in my path.” There is no easy definition of a neighbor, except that a neighbor is one that shares with another mercy along the path of life, no matter the path and no matter how the world may define the recipient of grace and mercy along the way.  The Kingdom of God is not about statistical categories or demographic descriptions; it is all about “being a neighbor” to another in the love of Christ while “loving God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength and with all your mind.” (Luke 10:27) There is no limit to the grace God, through Jesus, offers you; why should there be limits to the mercy and grace you offer to another?  Living a life of faith is not always easy but it is always a blessing and a privilege.