"Is Our Church a Good Neighbour?" (Mark 12:28-34)

(1) Would we be missed?

In an article by Eric Swanson entitled “Is Your Church a Good Neighbour”, the author quotes Bishop Vaughn McLaughlin from the Potter’s House Christian Fellowship in Jacksonville, Florida, when he asks the questions:

“Would the community weep if your church were to pull out of the city?”
And, “Would anybody notice if you left?”

We would continually need to ask of ourselves this type of question in regard to our local community:

“Would we be missed if we ceased to be here?”
Or, “Would there be any tears over our demise?”
Or, “Would anyone notice if we left?”

If there is any negative element in our response to this, then this provides the greatest challenge we could possibly face – the relevance test. For, if we are not being noticed, and if our contribution is not being noted, then collectively we are not working hard enough, and we are in serious danger of irrelevance.

Whereas this passage is normally treated in terms of one-on-one neighbourly relationships, there is room to consider it in terms of a collective group making a solid corporate contribution to its neighbourhood.

Because this pastor and this church fellowship in Jacksonville has taken these questions seriously, and responded appropriately and creatively, the mayor of Jacksonville openly credits this church as one community group that is changing Jacksonville for the better.

(2) Loving God through loving our neighbour

There was one scribe at least who was truly interested in what Jesus was saying. Unlike other recent questions that were loaded to test Jesus, this was an honest enquiry towards understanding the heart of the Jesus message. This scribe must have been impressed with the way Jesus was fielding some very tricky matters put forward by some very devious characters. And verse 33 shows that this particular scribe was well ahead of others in his understanding of what Jesus was on about.

Knowing that this was a sincere query, Jesus gave a complete and straightforward answer. The question was: which of the 613 rules existing at the time was “first” in line? Jesus began (in verse 29-30) by quoting from Deuteronomy 6:4-5.

But this, on its own, was not a complete answer, nor could it stand on its own as the ‘first’ or ‘greatest’ commandment. It has to be proved by more than words. It’s just too easy to simply say that we love God. Any expression of love towards God must include taking responsibility for what God has created. So whereas Jesus has already provided one commandment in response to a question concerning what comes “first”, Jesus now connects a second statement with the first in a way which combines them and sees them as inseparable – “There is no other commandment greater than these”.

Jesus (in verse 31) quotes from Leviticus 19:18. This is a real ethical proposition (especially if we consider the parable Luke uses to demonstrate that the identity of our neighbour should be broadened beyond how we may have previously limited the definition – Luke 10:25-37). This “love” of neighbour involves radical active good will.

We are well aware of our own needs and we consider them to be highly important, a real priority. Well says Jesus, the needs of others should be no less a priority! Believe it or not, our neighbour is just as important to God as we ourselves are!! If we love our neighbours as we love ourselves, we shall want for them the treatment we would want for ourselves (were we in their place).

The call to “love our neighbour” should also cause us to think about what may be appropriate government policies concerning health, education, employment, poverty, welfare, disadvantage, foreign aid, and debt forgiveness, irrespective of the impact this makes on the tax-paying public.

That we love God with everything that we have will be proved by how we behave concerning our neighbour. And that is where this collective interpretation comes in. As a church, we will prove how much we love God, by the concern we show for our local community (and also the world beyond). And so when we sing our songs of worship, and bring our offerings, and participate in the announcements, and listen to the bible, and share in communion, and offer up our prayers – will our sincerity be proved outside this building? Are we trying to grab hold of God simply for ourselves, or are we just as focused on the needs of our neighbour as we are on our own needs? Does our worship of God impel us toward our community – in concern for their well-being? It should, it must!

Why did Jesus say to this scribe, “You are not far from the kingdom of God”? Because he was yet to live it out; the ‘scribe’ was yet to put this teaching into practice. Jesus wanted to commend this “scribe” for his insight, yet Jesus could not let him escape the full import of the matter at hand. To fully participate in the Kingdom of God, to fully be a Jesus follower, one has to put Jesus’ teaching into action. This was the stunning challenge that silenced Jesus’ detractors; for this teaching had come straight from their own Hebrew Scriptures, yet they had not been able to consistently apply it.

(3) Loving our neighbour through loving God

Well of course this is a huge challenge! We have our own problems to deal with, the busyness of life, the needs of our family, work pressures, even the necessary tasks in the church to deal with. We also have our faith issues and our doubts, also our shyness and lack of confidence. And then there is the whole issue of finding some of our neighbours to be downright disagreeable or even unlikable. So where do we go to get through this, and grow, so that we can get to making this impact?? Where will the energy and wisdom come from?? We go back to the first part of these inseparable ideals (verse 30).

Our response to God needs to be from the totality of our being and resources:

· the “heart” is the seat of spiritual life and the inner being
· the “soul” or “life” refers to our feelings, emotions and desires
· the “mind” refers to our understanding and intelligence
· and “strength” refers to our abilities and our capacity to act.

We look to immerse ourselves in God and love God in such a way that allows God to give us everything that we need. Everything about us finds harmony with God’s ways and purposes (as they are seen displayed in Jesus). We find our own acceptance and sense of belonging and value in God, such that we can see others in the same way. If we were to only give God a fraction of our total selves, then God becomes a mere fraction of what He might be to us! We thus rob ourselves … if we push God to the periphery of our thoughts and lives!!

If we want to truly love our neighbour individually and our community collectively, then we will have to know God thoroughly. If we dedicate our whole being to loving God, then God is free to turn us outward towards others. In a nutshell, God requires the sort of undistracted and unrivalled love toward Him that will allow for a genuine love and concern for each of our neighbours (the effective combination of loyalty and compassion).

(4) Being neighbourly

a. practical service, not proud judgementalism

Being neighbourly is not about looking down our nose at the faults of others, but about finding ways of serving their needs. Being a neighbourly church is not about bemoaning their lack of church attendance, or their lack of interest in the ways of God, but rather about finding ways of making a contribution to good community functioning.

b. partnership, not isolation

Being neighbourly is not about trying to do everything by ourselves purely in our own way, but rather about finding ways of partnering with other groups and organisations who are likewise concerned about building good community. This frees us from the burden of thinking we have to do everything for everybody. We should ask ourselves the question … how can we help, what can be our unique contribution?

On a personal level, we don’t build relationships down a one-way street … by only offering help but not being prepared to receive it. We have to allow others to discover our practical needs and to respond to them as they can.

c. inclusion, not self-containment

Being neighbourly is not about being closed or self-contained within boundaries of belief or practice, but rather about being open to the contribution other people can make.

Part of this involves really loving our neighbourhood and relating warmly to all the components of it (especially the coffee shops)!