“Love
thy Neighbour as thyself” is a proverbial saying. Love is a feeling of
deep affection towards a person or a great interest in some thing. A
neighbour is a person living next door to or very near to another.
Neighbourhood is one of the factors that moulds the character of a
person. A good neighbourhood is developed by mutual understanding and by
exchange of love and care among the people living in a locality.
“He is not a Believer (Mu’min) who eats to his heart’s content while his neighbour is without food”.“While
preparing gravy for food, some water be added if necessary, to dilute
the dish so that the neighbour’s need could be satisfied”.
There
lived a cobbler who was very poor. He was a pious man had a great
desire to go for the Haj pilgrimage. He reduced his household expenses
and began to save from his daily income in order to fulfil his desire.
As days passed: his daily savings became a sizeable amount of 300
dirhams sufficient for his pilgrimage. He started preparing for the
journey.
At
this time, his wife was pregnant wished to have some tasty food. She
felt the smell of food that was under preparation in her neighbour’s
house. She requested her husband to get a little food for her from the
neighbour.
The
cobbler went to the neighbour and was shocked to find that the
neighbour was cooking the flesh of a dead donkey. The neighbour
explained that his family was without food for some days. His children
could not bear the pang of hunger. He had no money either to buy or to
prepare food for his family. He could find no other way to satisfy their
hunger. He had therefore, taken this extreme step. On hearing this, the
cobbler was very much moved and took pity on his house: picked the
money that he had saved for his pilgrimage and gave it to the neighbour.
Now
the cobbler could not fulfil his long desire of performing Haj. He had
given away his entire savings to the neighbour. Allah, the Almighty knew
the real intention of the cobbler to perform Haj: the efforts he had
taken to save money for the purpose and the great sacrifice he had done
to free his neighbour from hunger.
The
Merciful Allah, was very much pleased with the conduct of this poor
cobbler and granted him the reward of ACCEPTED HAJ, though the cobbler
could not actually undertake journey to Makkah
Who is my neighbor?
In
the ancient Near East, there was division between various groups.
Animosity existed between Jews and Samaritans because of historical and
religious differences. Jews knew the commands of the Old Testament to
love the Lord God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength and to
love their neighbors as themselves (
Deut. 6:9;
Lev. 19:18). Yet their interpretation of loving their neighbor was limited to only those who were of similar background.
When
the Jewish lawyer asked Jesus, “who is my neighbor?” Jesus used the
question to challenge the attitude of the day. The parable of the Good
Samaritan defines what it means to love your neighbor. In the story, a
man is beaten by robbers and left half-dead on the side of the road.
While he lies helpless on the treacherous thoroughfare, a priest sees
the man and deliberately walks by on the other side of the road. Later,
a Levite responds the same way when he sees the dying man. Finally, a
Samaritan sees the victim and responds.
Whereas
the two Jewish leaders saw the person in need and deliberately avoided
the situation, the Samaritan personified neighborliness. He showed mercy
to someone with no regard to background, religion, or potential
benefits.
How do I Love My Neighbor?
By
looking into the story of the Good Samaritan, we can learn how to
better love our neighbors by the character’s example in the story. Here
are 10 ways we too can love our neighbors as ourselves:
1. Love is proactive.
In
the parable, when the Samaritan saw the victim, he went to him. The
Samaritan was on his way somewhere, but he stopped when he saw the man
in need. We live in a fast-paced world where it is easy to overlook the
needs of others. But if we learn from this parable, we will be careful
to be aware of those whoare aound us. W
ho is God placing on your heart to show love to?
2. Love is observant.
One of the first steps in being a good neighbor and loving others as yourself is noticing others. The Samaritan first saw the hurting man.
“
But
a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw
him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds,
pouring on oil and wine,” Luke 10:33.
Granted,
a beaten man on the road seems like a scene that's hard not to notice.
But Jesus also shows us the importance of seeing people. He sounds very
similar to the Samaritan in
Matthew 9:36,
“When
[Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were
harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
How can you be prayerful and mindful of people in your life?
3. Love is compassionate.
Luke 10:33 goes
on to state that when the Samaritan saw the injured man, he had
compassion on him. He went towards the injured man and responded to his
needs rather than simply feeling sorry for him. How can you be active in
showing compassion to someone in need?
4. Love is responsive.
When
the Samaritan saw the man, he responded immediately to help meet the
mans’ needs. He bound his wounds using the resources he had on hand.
Have you noticed someone in need in your community lately? How can you
respond to their need?
5. Love is costly.
When
the Samaritan tended to the victim’s wounds, he gave of his own
resources. One of the most valuable resources we have is our
time. Loving his neighbor not only cost the Samaritan at least two days’
wages, but also his time. God has given us resources so that we can be a
blessing to others. What other resources has God given you that you can
use to bless others?
6. Love is inopportune.
Imagine
trying to lift an injured man with no clothes onto a donkey. That was
not a convenient task, and it was likely messy, given the man's
injuries. The Samaritan physically had to support the man's weight by
himself. Yet he set the man on his animal to take him to a place of
safety. How have you benefited by someone going out of their way for
you? Is there a way you can show love to a neighbor, even if it's
inconvenient or not at a good time?
7. Love is healing.
After
the Samaritan binds the wounds of the man, he continues his care by
taking him to an inn and looking after him. Who has experienced healing
because you have taken time to love?
8. Love is sacrificial.
The
Samaritan gave two denarii to the innkeeper, which is approximately two
days’ worth of earnings. Yet the only instruction he gave is to take
care of the wounded man. There was no payback expected in return.
"While it is a beautiful thing when someone we have served gives us a genuine, heartfelt, thank you,
it is not necessary or required. Our service to others and our
commitment to do for others is about what Christ has already done for
us. Nothing more."
What sacrifices can you make for someone in need?
9. Love is communal.
The
care for the injured man did not end when the Samaritan had to leave.
Instead of leaving the man alone, he entrusted his care to the
innkeeper. When we love a neighbor, the Samaritan shows us that it's
good and sometimes necessary to involve others in the process. Who can
you involve to show love to someone else?
10. Love is promising.
When
the Samaritan left the inn, he told the innkeeper that he would pay for
any other expenses when he returned. The Samaritan owed nothing to the
victim, yet, he promised to return and cover the cost of any extra care
that the man needed. When we love others, the Samaritan shows us to
follow-through in our care, even if we are not obligated to them. Is
there someone you need to follow-up with to show how much you care?
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