Love Thy Stranger

Everyone knows the biblical admonition to "love your neighbor." I'm mindful of this when I try to be a good neighbor to those living next door to us or to those at the local grocery store or at my kids' schools. I find this is do-able most of the time (not always :)). But, sometimes, when I get outside my neighborhood, the spirit of loving my neighbor can get away from me. Because the person driving on the freeway or in line at Costco is most likely a stranger, I don't regard them like I should. I think sometimes my attitude goes from loving my neighbor to everyman for himself. Is it just me or can you relate to this also?

This is obviously wrong on my part. It is disobedient to God and His Word. We understand that when God says to "love thy neighbor," He doesn't mean just the people who live next door to us or down the street. And He doesn't just mean our friends and church members. He means love and regard everyone you encounter, everyone He puts in your path. It's like the story of the Good Samaritan who helps the injured man on the side of the road. Jesus turned the question around from "who is your neighbor" to "who are you a neighbor to." In Leviticus 19, God instructs the Israelites how to live and distinguish themselves as His people. In Leviticus 19:18, He says "love your neighbor as yourself." Then expounding on that, He says "When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong."

God calls us to love the strangers in our lives. That goes for those whose names we don't know, those we encounter by chance, those driving next to us on the freeway, etc. They may just be passing through our lives for the moment. We may never see them again. Nonetheless, God wants us to extend love because He's the one that placed them in our lives. And while we may not know them, God does. To Him, there are no strangers. As His people, we are to be marked by graciousness and hospitality toward others in order that they might see Christ in us. Let us remember this the next time we're out and about.

God bless,
Pastor Darren