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The Enduring Neighbor
Brian Mashburn
October 19, 2014
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The Life Killing Strategy of Satan
Sadly, there is written into the Bible's story, an Enemy. In the beginning, God spoke a truth still in effect today when he said, "It is not good for man to be alone." I think the Enemy was listening, because he has been trying to keep us isolated from each other and from God ever since as if that were his official life changing strategy: isolate and annihilate.
The victim in Christ's story of the Good Samaritan is the poster child of alone. Travelling alone, vulnerable to attack, he is now half-dead, so wounded that spiritual leaders pass on by. Not our hero. He noticed him when others didn't, had compassion when those that should have failed, went to him when there were rational reasons to not, did healing work though it was inconvenient, and used his money to provide for his need. Sounds like a great guy. A great Christian. Understood, Jesus. I got it.
But he doesn't stop there. He finishes the story with one more human quality that promises superhuman fruitfulness: Endurance. He promised to come back and follow up. His final gift of neighboring was that he would never stop being one. He was now his friend. He would endure and walk with him. He is no longer a man alone.
Imagine for a moment being this wounded man, experiencing this true neighbor, beginning to end. Would you be open to sharing lives with him? Would you be receptive to what he says is most important to him in his life? Would you have affection for him that would allow him to share with you why he is that way?
So will your neighbors. And this, dear church, is why Southwest's vision is to make disciples through relationships. Learn this, once and for all, and conform the rest of your life to it: Those with eternal life love their neighbors, resulting in many of those neighbors attaining eternal life. Love. Your. Neighbor.