No Loopholes in Love: Embracing Jesus' Call to Love Our Neighbors

Have you ever caught yourself looking for a way out of loving someone? Maybe it's that coworker who always gets on your nerves, or the neighbor whose political views are the polar opposite of yours. We've all been there. But as I was preparing for this week's sermon, I was struck by how Jesus leaves no room for loopholes when it comes to loving our neighbors.

The Lawyer's Question: Who Is My Neighbor?

In Luke 10, we encounter a lawyer who approaches Jesus with a question: "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus, in His wisdom, turns the question back to the lawyer, asking him how he interprets the law. The lawyer responds correctly, saying we should love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and love our neighbor as ourselves.

But then comes the kicker. The lawyer, wanting to justify himself, asks, "And who is my neighbor?" (Luke 10:29)

Let's be honest here. Aren't we all a bit like this lawyer sometimes? We know we're supposed to love our neighbors, but we're looking for that loophole, that escape clause. We're thinking, "Okay, Jesus, I get it. Love my neighbor. But surely you don't mean I have to love people who aren't as educated as me? Or those with different political views? Or people from a different religion or culture?"

The Good Samaritan: A Story of Radical Love

In response, Jesus tells the famous parable of the Good Samaritan. A man is beaten and left for dead on the road. A priest and a Levite - respected religious figures - pass by without helping. But a Samaritan, someone despised by the Jews, stops to help. He bandages the man's wounds, takes him to an inn, and even pays for his care.

Here's the thing: when Jesus brought a Samaritan into this story, the people listening would have gasped. There was deep hatred between Jews and Samaritans, going back some 700 years. Yet Jesus makes the Samaritan the hero of the story.

Jesus is challenging us to love beyond our comfort zones, beyond our prejudices. He's saying, "There are no loopholes. There are no escape clauses. We are called to love our neighbor. Period."

Recognizing Our Own Prejudices

Now, this is where it gets uncomfortable. We need to take a good, long look inside ourselves and recognize our own prejudices. Most of us were raised with some type of prejudice or stereotypes towards certain people. Maybe it's thinking all overweight people are lazy, or all used car salesmen are crooks, or that this generation is nothing but selfish and lazy.

Here's a hard truth we need to face: Racism is not a skin issue. It's a sin issue. James, the half-brother of Jesus, put it bluntly: "If you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin" (James 2:9).

Seeking to Understand

Instead of getting defensive or angry when confronted with different perspectives, what if we sought to understand? What if, instead of pointing fingers, we sat down and had a conversation?

I remember a time when Denise and I were in Dubai, and she was initially offended by the separate men's and women's sections on the monorail. But after talking with locals, we learned it was actually to protect women from being inappropriately touched in crowded spaces. It completely changed our perspective.

Reaching Out to Those Different from Us

The world is tired of lip service from the church. It's time for us to show some action and actually demonstrate that we love people and are here for them. Racism isn't just the presence of hatred; it's also the absence of love.

Now, let me be clear: I'm not talking about being accepting of sin. But I am talking about loving the person. I'll sit down with anyone - regardless of color, sexual orientation, or background. I won't judge you, but if you ask me what the Bible says about something, I'm going to be a good enough friend to tell you the truth in love.

Jesus: The Ultimate Good Samaritan

Here's the beautiful twist in this story: Jesus Himself is the ultimate Good Samaritan. We were the ones beaten and left for dead by our sin. The law (represented by the priest and Levite) couldn't save us. But Jesus came, poured out His love, bandaged our wounds, and paid the price for our healing.

And now, we're called to reflect that same love to others. As Paul writes in Romans 5:8, "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."

Putting It Into Practice: Loving Without Limits

So, who is your neighbor? It's the waiter who isn't refilling your drink fast enough. It's the person with a different accent in the checkout line. It's the addict on the street corner. It's the person who hurt you or lied about you.

There are no loopholes, no escape clauses. Jesus meant what He said: Love your neighbor.

As we close, I want to leave you with this powerful image from Revelation 7:9-10:

"After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar, 'Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!'"

This is what eternity will look like - people from every nation, language, and background, united in praising God. If we can do that for eternity, surely we can start practicing it now.

So I challenge you this week: Look for opportunities to love those who are different from you. Seek to understand before being understood. And remember, we love because He first loved us.

Who is your neighbor? If you lock eyes with them, that's your neighbor. Now go and love them like Jesus loves you.