Oct 27 2019 Luke 10:27-37

Go and do likewise.

Jesus has encountered the lawyer who wants to know what he needs to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus gives his standard answer. Love God. Love your neighbor. The man wants to get a few more details, maybe because he was genuinely unclear, or because he was trying to get enough details that he could get out of the obligation on a technicality. So the lawyer asks Jesus to clarify, just who is his neighbor?

Jesus proceeds to tell the story of the ‘good’ Samaritan. A man is mugged, and left on the side of the road. An political and religious leader each pass the man, averting their eyes, and walking past. A Samaritan, the hated enemies of the Jewish people at the time, is the one who stops, takes care of him, and puts him up for the night in a hotel. Jesus asks the lawyer, which of these men should be considered a neighbor to the victim. The lawyer answers, the one who shows mercy. Jesus responds, ‘go and do likewise.’

I understand a little about political boundaries and borders, and employment law, and the economics of a workforce. But I do not see that there is any room to be has hurtful and unwelcoming to the stranger as our country has become. In modern times, some of our political and religious leaders are doing the same thing as the priest and Levite in the story, walking by, averting their eyes. Or reducing the number of refugees allowed in this country.

On its own, this move is not consistent with Jesus’ command. But the reasoning is equally bad. The government is proposing a reduction in the number of refugees worldwide, to free up Homeland Security to address the ‘crisis’ at our border with Mexico. There definitely is a crisis at our border; crushing poverty, hopelessness, unemployment. Who is my neighbor?

But the US doesn’t intend to work to meet those needs. Instead, we want to walk past the hurting even quicker. Better yet, build a structure so we don’t have to see them at all.

To be clear, I absolutely understand that open borders are problematic for government. But it’s the government leaders and lawyers that Jesus was talking to. If our primary concern remains our economics and politics, we are no different than the legalistic questioner of Jesus, who’s trying to figure out just how far God’s love is to be shared. Jesus makes it precisely clear. Go and do likewise.

I also understand that there are people who’ve been working on these issues for months and years, and my comments may seem like I’m an armchair quarterback. But it simply takes 20 minutes of reading scripture to feel absolutely convicted about my previous apathy. 

This morning, I’m thinking about how short the distance is between reading Jesus’ words, and how clearly I see where we need to hear and heed his words today I’m not a immigrant and refugee protester. I’ve never seen the ‘crisis’ at the border. But I vote. And I have money. And I have prayer. I wonder what would happen if every other wonderfully intentioned, armchair quarterbacking Christian read Scripture, felt convicted, and took action.