WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR? 047

In the invitation to the gospel supper the Lord Jesus has specified the work to be done—the work that the churches in every locality, north, south, east, and west, should do. {6T 294.1} The churches need to have their eyes anointed with the heavenly eye salve, that they may see the many opportunities all about them to minister for God. Repeatedly God has called upon His people to go out into the highways and hedges, and compel men to come in, that His house may be full; yet even within the shadow of our own doors are families in which we have not shown sufficient interest to lead them to think that we cared for their souls. It is this work lying nearest us that the Lord now calls upon the church to undertake. We are not to stand, saying: “Who is my neighbor?” We are to remember that our neighbor is the one who most needs our sympathy and help. Our neighbor is every soul who is wounded and bruised by the adversary. Our neighbor is everyone who is the property of God. In Christ the distinctions made by the Jews as to who was their neighbor are swept away. There are no territorial lines, no artificial distinctions, no caste, no aristocracy. {6T 294.2}

If any desire to work for God, they need not say that opportunities are lacking. Maybe, people don’t genuinely think that there is a lack of opportunities to work for God as much as they simply don’t know how to discern those opportunities. I love how this paragraph says that we ought to have our eyes open to see the opportunities. It reminds me of when Job said this,

Job 29: 15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. 16 I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.

In describing his work for the poor, Job says that the causes (or the situations that required help) that he was unaware of, he went searching for.

This makes a lot of sense and I appreciate it on a deep level; many people who are in desperate need are hidden in the crevices of life and won’t be found unless someone searches them out. This is why Jesus says,

Luke 14:23 Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

The highways and hedges, the places where no one goes, or searches,

Search.

Go.

Moreover, the irony is that many of these people are “within the shadow of our own doors.” People may be suffering, right under our noses, in the shadow of our own doors.

My literal neighbours, my other neighbours, at school, at home, at work, anywhere may need me.

Who is my neighbor?

We are to remember that our neighbor is the one who most needs our sympathy and help.

Heaven and earth couldn’t have been farther after sin, yet Jesus considered us neighbours in need of help.

He came to help

Father open my eyes to my neighbour,

IJN,

amen

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