The rest of the story: ‘And you shall love your neighbor as yourself’
By Dean Collins
We cannot follow just what Jesus called the greatest and first commandment: Love God with heart, mind, soul, and strength. Jesus added a second instruction: Love your neighbor as yourself. Obeying this second command is the evidence that we understand what happens when we love God fully. We are transformed so that we truly become like him.
Startling words
One group of people God wants us to help are those who can’t help themselves (see Proverbs 24:11-12). And in this particular case, it appears that those in need are at a point where they were likely to die at the hands of another unless someone intervened on their behalf. Solomon’s words: “Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.” Maybe they were being taken advantage of by some authority. Maybe they couldn’t pay a debt that was owed. Maybe they didn’t have the resources to defend themselves. We don’t really know the situation.
The words that are startling for us as believers are these: “If you say, ‘Behold, we did not know this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?” According to the wise king of Proverbs, we can’t act like we didn’t see or didn’t know someone needed help. The implication might be that our relationship with God should be intimate enough, Christlike enough, that we sense or know in our spirit that there is something we can do to help. And I suspect that like me, you can think of moments in your life where you thought you could or should offer help but like the characters in the parable of the Good Samaritan, you walked by on the other side of the road hoping not to make eye contact.
Others’ needs
There are many times and ways that we grow weak and tired while trying to live on mission with God. Some of these times we endure hardship, personal attacks, and various stresses that are truly out of our control. In times like these, we must rush to the Lord with our burden and ask for help from the one who can truly help us. Maybe it is the same thing that Proverbs suggests we do when we see others in great need. Maybe we rush to the Lord on their behalf, petitioning God for his solutions and for his provision. But maybe when we seek God on behalf of another person experiencing adversity, God might very well be asking us to step in and help the person in time of need.
We must consider that the steps of a man are in fact established by the Lord. But we can also understand that even following the steps God directs we may stumble. According to Psalm 37, God reaches out his hand to help us in our time of need. But I am convinced that many times God directs those of us who are seeking to imitate Christ to reach out our hand on behalf of the Lord who put us nearby so we could help another.
I think we often read Scripture looking for ways God might minister to us and help us. And there is nothing wrong with that. But maybe when we read Scripture we are to consider that God’s Word might be drawing us to be less focused on our problems and more focused on the needs of others.
Lord, forgive us when we get so focused on our needs that we ignore or fail to see the difficulties of those around us. We desire to have the mind of Christ and to share the love of Christ with everyone around us. Give us eyes to see those in need, and expand our heart to love more like you love. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your time with God’s Word
Proverbs 24:10-12; Psalm 37:23-24; 1 Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:17-21 ESV
Photo by Elijah Macleod on Unsplash
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