August 29

Our Duty Towards Our Neighbour

And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ — Matt 22:39 BSB

When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God. You must not steal. You must not lie or deceive one another. You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD. You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand. You must not curse the deaf or place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD. You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly. You must not go about spreading slander among your people. You must not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am the LORD. You must not harbor hatred against your brother in your heart. Directly rebuke your neighbor, so that you will not incur guilt on account of him. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. — Lev 19:9-18 BSB

Our neighbor is anyone who needs our help, whether man, woman, or child. It’s enough that they need help and we are near. The teachings of Jewish law remind us of who our neighbors are and what we must do for them.

We must give them a chance to live (Matthew 22:9-10). We have no right to waste resources that could benefit others or hoard all our possessions for ourselves. We should always leave a margin to give to those in need. How much better would the world be if we all set aside a portion of our income and increase for the cause of Christ and to help the poor?

We must not withhold payments that are due (Matthew 22:13). How many people have been ruined because customers delay paying their debts? If Christians made it a practice to pay promptly—especially to small businesses—it could make a significant difference. It is neither just nor fair to withhold payment from those to whom it is owed.

We must be compassionate toward those with infirmities (Matthew 22:14). God’s love always seeks to compensate for human limitations. Blind Milton composed his epic poetry, and Helen Keller triumphed over overwhelming obstacles. We are called to be ears for the deaf and eyes for the blind.

We must not hesitate to rebuke sin (Matthew 22:17). This requires humility, tact, and self-examination. We need the love of Christ for souls to address the small issues that could grow into greater problems if left unchecked.

We must not hold grudges (Matthew 22:18). This is difficult. We often take offense, become distant, or cold. But we are called to act in the power of God’s love, as though no grudge exists.

When the lawyer asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” he was seeking someone to be a neighbor to him. Jesus turned the question around: “Whom will you neighbor?” If we go through life looking for people to serve us, we will be disappointed. But if we seek to be a neighbor to others, we will find that when we need it, others will come to our aid.

Prayer

O Lord, soften our hard and steely hearts. Warm our icy and frozen hearts so that we may wish well for one another and be true disciples of Jesus Christ. Amen.