"Love is the highest virtue.  It is neither called forth by anything that someone deserves nor deterred by what is undeserving or ungrateful. And no creature toward which you should practice love is nobler than your neighbor---that is any human being especially one who needs your help. This person is not a devil, not a lion or a bear, not a stone or a log.  This is a living creature very much like you. There is nothing living on earth that is more lovable or more necessary.  The neighbor is naturally suited for a civilized and social existence. Thus nothing could be regarded as worthier of love in the whole universe than our neighbor. But such is the amazing craft of the devil that he is able not only to remove this noble object of love from my mind but even to persuade my heart of the exactly opposite opinion. My heart regards the neighbor as worthy, not of love but of the bitterest hatred. The devil accomplishes this very easily suggesting to me: "Look, this person  suffers from such and such a fault. The neighbor has chided you, has done you damage."  Immediately this most lovable of objects becomes vile. My neighbor no longer seems to be someone who should be loved but an enemy deserving bitter hatred.  In this way we are transformed from lovers into haters.  All that is left to us of this commandment are the naked and meaningless letters and syllables: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  Martin Luther. Lectures on Galatians. 1535.

How do you relate with your neighbors?  Callous indifference.  Ignorance.  Fear.  Rational rejection.  Self-absorption.  These are some typical ways in which we relate with neighbors. We may also be friendly, generous, kind, supportive, and respectful. Our disposition toward others is determined by many factors. The behavior, attitudes, and actions of others along with personal prejudices of varying kind and degree trigger our reactions.
Today, I think ambivalence toward our neighbors is more prevalent and more deadly than hatred itself.  I do not hate anyone, but I am ambivalent about them.  I am apathetic toward their life circumstances.  As they are to mine. I am unaware of my neighbor's needs. I prefer not to know them.
As a Christian, I am invited and expected to acknowledge and show compassion for my neighbors.  Another word, used by Luther, is help.  I am encouraged to help my neighbor.  In his small catechism, a teaching tool, Luther writes about the ten commandments; in response to the commandment, "You shall not murder," he writes, "We are to fear and love God, so that we neither endanger nor harm the lives of our neighbors, but instead help and support them in all of life's needs."  I am afraid that,as a people, we have chosen to ignore both the negative and affirmative aspects of this commandment. Basic morality has denounced murder for thousands of years. But television and film continue to glorify violence and murder.  We are bereft of an ethic that truly values the life of another.    
As a Christian, any morality is grounded in the person, teaching, and work of Jesus.  Jesus, in the gospel of Matthew, rejects both "an eye for an eye" and "you shall not murder" as sufficient standards of respect for human life.  He rejects retribution of any kind and he suggests that anger (the underlying potential cause of violence) is itself a murderous act.  Intention to act violently is as deadly as the act itself, according to Jesus. Self-defense at the expense of the other is replaced by self-sacrifice and denial. One is encouraged to give one's life for others.
So, church, we are expected to exercise a counter cultural high esteem for other persons to the extent  that we must condemn violence and demonstrate a concern for the neighbor that can be characterized as love.  Love does not harm.  Love helps.  Churches are commanded to help people.  When Christians have been helpful, really helpful, they have experienced changed lives that might be understood as conversions.  Demoralizing ambivalence and apathy have damaged the reputation of Christians in the U.S. and around the world.  To turn this around, churches in the U.S. must begin to find ways to care for and help their neighbors in real, tangible, authentic ways.  People are hungry.  Feed them. People are anxious and afraid.  Give them peace.  They are sick.  Bring healing. They are grieving.  Bind their wounded hearts.  Be present.  Do what no others will do.  Bear their burdens.  Stand with them in time of trial or suffering. Pay what they owe.  
There are many churches out there that do nothing to care for their neighbors or neighborhoods.  They are content to assemble for worship in whatever form they deem right. Their religious habits and piety blind them to their Christian vocation.  They receive from their pastors the gift of cheap grace.  They are encouraged to reject sin and enjoy the free gift of forgiveness.  But they are neither invited nor challenged to take up the cross of Christ, to love and serve the world.  They are eager to sing beloved hymns  and songs, to enjoy the means of grace, and to embrace one another with the peace of Christ.  But they care not for those who do not assemble, for those outside of the church's walls of sanctuary.  Martin Luther again admonishes the church in this way:
"Humans do not live for themselves alone in these mortal bodies to work for their bodies alone, but they live also for all of humanity on earth; rather, they live only for others and not for themselves.  They cannot ever in this life be idle and without works toward their neighbors.  People, however, need none of these things for their righteousness and salvation.  Therefore they should be guided in all their works by this thought and contemplate this one thing alone, that they may serve and benefit others in all that they do, considering nothing except the need and advantage of their neighbors." From "The Freedom of a Christian, 1520.  
I am convinced that where love is given away, Christ is present.  Where Christ is present, there is salvation and peace.  
      
    
 

    

George Zimmerman and the Good Samaritan

GO and DO LIKEWISE, says Jesus.  Be merciful, as the Good Samaritan was merciful.  Be a Good Samaritan.  We know this.  Be a helper.  Be a good neighbor.  Let’s say we all want to do the right thing.  Give each other the benefit of the doubt.  Even this lawyer here wants to do the right thing.  At least he is concerned enough with the law to want to do the  right by it.  He believes the law is from God and so obedience to it is not an option.  He wants to be compliant.  What he gets from Jesus is unsatisfactory.  You know the law, do it and live.  Love God.  Love your neighbor. So he asks, “But, who is my neighbor?”  To whom am I responsible?  Who must I love? And this is where the good Samaritan story comes from. Because we all want to do the right thing, don't we?   

But I don’t love all of my neighbors, do you?  I don’t dislike them.  I also don’t intentionally harm them or help them.  I live near them.  That is why they are my neighbors.  I suppose I am good for an emergency.  One time, one of our neighbor’s daughters got hurt and was bleeding.  We helped her, cleaned the wound, stuck a band aid on her.  I guess we were good Samaritans that day.  But in the case Jesus’ presents, I’d say most of us are not involved at that level.  I’ve witnessed a few accidents on the road and not stopped.  I called 911 once.  We have actually made the world better and safer.  Thank you 911.  Thank you first responders.  Thank you paramedics.  Thank you police.  Thank you military personnel.  Thank you Emergency room doctors and nurses.  Thank you Good Samaritan Hospital.  We have systematically samaritanized a work force around public safety and emergency medical assistance.  This is great. Most of us are off the hook.  We are not responsible.  Now occasionally you here of the citizen hero; found someone and brought them to the hospital, delivered baby in walmart parking lot.  You know the stories.  But as for you and me, we needn’t go vigilante in order to go and do likewise.  None of us is batman. We can be thankful for the professionals and get out of their way.    

Of course the other aspect of the story Jesus tells is the inherent racism and prejudice between Jew and Samaritan.  You see the story has a punchline and that is that a Samaritan is the good guy.  Two of the most religiously observant Jews, no. But a Samaritan.  Yes.  He’s the one.  It betrays a certain logic though.  To have any connection, one must assume prejudice, maybe even hatred.  Of course this still exists.  But do we like to admit it?  What contemporary prejudiced to you hold?  That is the person to insert in the story.  A more familiar version of the story might be:  a southern white cotton plantation owner was attacked and beaten and left for dead today.  You know who saves him? This negro boy. Can you believe it? Tune it at 11 for this story of an unlikely hero.  Doesn’t that sound ridiculous now?  Now, in the Middle East Jews and Arabs don’t get along. But there are Jews married to Arabs.  There are Muslims and Jews and Christians working and living together as neighbors, too.  The Good Samaritan story falls apart if we first confront racial and ethnic hatred. We know better by now.  This is not a post-racial America, but don't we know that racial prejudice is unjust and ought to be confronted and rejected?  Everyone knows that the heart of the Good Samaritan story says that a good neighbor does not allow racial or ethnic prejudice to prevent one from doing what is right, merciful, good.  

I suppose a headline news story that addresses what it means to be a good Samaritan is the George Zimmerman/ Trayvon Martin case.  A man on neighborhood watch carrying a firearm sees a suspicious black boy and follows him.  He calls 911 and ignores the dispatcher’s suggestion that he not give chase.  At some point a confrontation ensues between the armed man and the unarmed black kid.  In the end, the kid is killed.  Zimmerman was acquitted yesterday.  I don’t know all the facts of the case.  I don’t know the law in Florida giving someone the right to self-defense.  But here’s one implication of the verdict; you see someone you don’t like in your neighborhood, chase them out.  Use deadly force if necessary.  Even if the person is an unarmed black kid.  You are justified in doing so.  This is as close to saying to hell with the Good Samaritan story as we can go.  Zimmerman’s shooting is not the way of Jesus

What does Go and Do Likewise mean for us? Don’t shoot?  Call 911?  Avoid conflicts?  Stay safe?  Our question is not the lawyer’s Who question. Ours is How? How do we show mercy to others?  That is our question. What is mercy?  How might I be merciful to someone? Figure that out and out will imitate Christ and you will have life.  Amen.