Watch/Listen
The Hands of A Servant
Brian Mashburn
October 20, 2013
Audio Player
Oh, How He Loved The World
In Luke 10, after explaining that "love of neighbor" is the mandatory business of anyone who desires eternal life, Jesus is asked to explain who our neighbor is exactly.
It's understandable. If your life depended on loving your neighbor, wouldn't you want to know who he/she is?
He didn't answer. Instead, he explained what a neighbor is. You see, the imperative is not on the world to qualify as our neighbor. It is on the church to be one.
And as a bonus, Jesus tells a story that describes what a neighbor is. It's not the question he was asked, but it is the one he answered, so it must be important. He says that a neighbor...
Sees people.
Feels compassion.
Takes initiative.
Works toward healing.
Shares his resources.
Does what it takes to finish.
Confession time: Almost ten years ago, I kicked off my ministry here with a series on this text that called us as a church family to love the world. I think we have grown in this area as a church, but I think I have diminished.
How about you? When Christians die, we often proclaim, "oh, how he/she loved the church." When I reflect on Jesus' death, I think, "oh, how he loved the world."
Without giving up a bit of love for the church, it's time for the church to leave the building, and love the world.