So Who IS My Neighbor?

Frankly, gentle reader, I have no idea about how this is gonna come out. The weekend’s scriptures present us with three seemingly disparate readings: an out-of-town prophet gets threatened; Paul’s team exhorts the Colossian congregation to not worry about “the rules”, for Christ is all you need; and Jesus’ well-known story about the Good Samaritan. Help me look for a holy thread that may run through the texture of these lessons…

We need a backstory on the Divided Kingdom before adequately hearing AMOS 7:7-17. After David & Solomon, the North (Israel) pulled away from the South (Judah). The tribes of Benjamin and Simeon remained with their capital at Jerusalem (mnemonic device: Judah/Jerusalem), while the other tribes, soon to be known as the “10 Lost Tribes”, established their capital at Shechem and their chief shrine at Bethel. Here is where Amos, the sheep-herder and fig-farmer from Tekoa–SOUTH of Jerusalem!–was sent to call back the Northern Kingdom from its pagan ways. “Go home!” said the high priest, Amaziah. But Amos continued to speak God’s wrath to the leadership of the soon-to-be-overrun Northern Kingdom.

“Paul & Timothy” wrote appreciatively to the COLOSSIANS (1:1-14) about their love for each other and for Christ. Somewhat disturbing to me is the phrase, “for all the saints”. But what about the rest of us? The bulk of the text deals with the sufficiency of Christ, who creates and reconciles all things. The hope of the passage is that knowledge of this Christ will produce spiritual “fruit” to those of this congregation and those whom they touch. “God’s universal reconciliation of the cosmos through Christ becomes visible and embodied in the daily life of the church as it is animated by the word of the gospel.” (Susan Grove Eastman, in FEASTING on the WORD, C 3:245)

Interesting that Jesus, traveling toward his death, is met by one asking about life (LUKE 10:25-37). “Two rules,” replies Jesus, “love God and love your neighbor”. Which led to the story of the kind Samaritan (insert here any nemesis of your own: terrorist? teenager? Proud Boy? Russian spy?) who stopped his own agenda and tended to the discarded wounded traveler. It’s easier to read this in antiquity than to actually DO it in the here’n’now: I can come up with LOTS of excuses to walk by on the other side.

We’d do well to think deeply about whose side we’re on in these stories of contrast. But it’s difficult for me to identify the pagan practices and the beautiful days in the neighborhood of the minority. It’s difficult to really see and appreciate my Neighbor. “Please, won’t you be my neighbor?” Thanks, Fred.

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Every Tuesday I’m confronted by scripture lessons to be read on the upcoming weekend: please join me at horacebrownking.com