A Study on Neighboring
April 8, 2006
Robert Lupton's challenging book, And You Call Yourself A Christian, (catchy title, huh?) has prompted me to study what the Bible says about neighboring. The book is a compilation of insights gained from the author's two decades of work with inner-city poor. What is his bottom line? Good neighboring. Lupton says he has found that the most effective approach for conveying the gospel and promoting positive change in the inner-city is good neighboring. We need to be good neighbors.
Lupton would like to see more Christians move to the inner-city and become proactive neighbors. "The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood" (Jn 1:14 Msg) type of thing. He advocates for commitment over the long haul as opposed to flash-in-the-pan sporadic or occasional efforts. He has seen that "dwelling among" and forming relationships is the most effective way to bring spiritual and physical transformation.
My experience tells me that Mr. Lupton is right and that it is crucial that we make a commitment to "neighboring" in this hour. Whether this involves a move to the inner-city or going to Africa or staying where we are, I believe we are being called to "neighbor" as never before.
The lawyer may have asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" (Lk 10:29) in order to find a way to limit his responsibility to his fellow man but we are all called to wrestle with this same question. Each day as we walk through life, we must ask God to reveal to us our "neighbors" and then ask Him to give us the grace to be "good neighbors." Here are the main points I gleaned from studying "neighbor" in the Bible:
The Main Idea: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
• First spoken in Leviticus 19:16 as part of the law.
• Repeated by Jesus as part of the "greatest commandment". (Mt 22:35, Mk12:31, Lk 10:27)
• Declared to be the "fulfillment of the law" by both Paul and James. (Rom 13:10, Gal 5:14, James 2:8) "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Gal 5:14)
The Primary Hindrances Identified: Deceit and Coveting
Deceit
• Lying, tale bearing, false witness. (Exodus 20:16 , Deut 19:11, 16, Prov 3:28, 29:5)
• Secret slander or attack (Ps 101:5, Deut 27:24)
• Dishonesty in selling, selling stolen property, returning borrowed property damaged (Ex 22:7-14, Lev 6:2, 19:13,,25:14-15)
• Stealing (Deut 23:25, Isa 9:20)
• Jeremiah laments the widespread deceit among brothers and neighbors, "And like their bow, they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for truth in the earth." (Jer 9:4-5)
Coveting
• "You shall not covet your neighbor's house… wife…male or female servant…ox or donkey… or anything." (Ex 20:16-17, see also Deut 5:20, Jer 6:13,21)
Conflict with Neighbors Characterizes Spiritual Decline and Times of Trial, Brings Judgment and is Part of God's Judgment
• "Help, Lord! For the godly man ceases… they speak idly everyone with his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak." (Ps 12:1-2)
• Job says, "I am one mocked by his neighbors." (Job12:4)
• Because the people refused to "proclaim liberty to their neighbors" (release Hebrew slaves), God declares that He will "deliver them into trouble." (Jer 34:16-17) "God will destroy the one who secretly slanders his neighbor." (Ps 101:5) "Woe to the one who gives drink to his neighbor, pressing him into your bottle." (Hab 2:15)
• In response to their sin: God "set all everywhere against his neighbor." (Zech 8:10) "Everyone will seize the land of his neighbor and raise his hand against his neighbor's hand." (Zech14:13) "The people will be oppressed, everyone by another and everyone by his neighbor." (Isa 3:5)
Bad Neighbors Can Influence Us Negatively/Are Described in Very Negative Terms
Influence of
• "…the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors." (Jer 49:8,50:40)
• Lying prophets tell their dreams which are then passed between neighbors causing God's people to forsake him. (Jer 23:27)
• "A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him in a way that is not good." (Prov 16:29)
Descriptors of
• "The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor." (Prov 11:9)
• "He who is devoid of wisdom (lacks heart) despises his neighbor." (Prov 112:12)
• "The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor finds no favor in his sight." (Prov 21:10)
• "A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow." (Prov 25:18)
• "Like a mad man who throws firebrands, arrows and death, is the man who deceives his neighbor, and says, 'I was only joking.'" (Prov 26:19)
Good Neighboring is Associated with Repentance/ Experiencing God's Presence and Favor
• When God called out through Jeremiah for acts of repentance to lead to restoration, He included, "if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor." (Jer 7:5)
• When God declared through Zechariah, "I am determined to do you good" and gave them a list of things to do, the first on the list was: "Speak each man truth to his neighbor… let each of you think no evil in your heart against a neighbor." (Zech 8:16-17)
• In times of restoration and renewal: "Everyone will invite his neighbor under his vine and under his fig tree." (Zech 3:10) "Everyone helped his neighbor." (Isa:41:6)
• Those who do "no evil to his neighbor" experience God's presence - "abide in Your tabernacle… dwell in Your holy hill." (Ps 15:1-3)
Good Neighbors Offer Safety, Provision and Accountability
• "Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away." (Prov 27:10) "Do not devise evil against your neighbor for he dwells with you for safety's sake." (Prov 3:25)
• Sharing/generosity is anticipated. It was acceptable practice to take a handful of grain while in your neighbor's field (Deut 23:25) Small households were to share the same Passover lamb. (Ex12:4) Debt owed by neighbors was released every seven years (Deut 15:2)
• "You shall surely rebuke your neighbor and not bear sin because of him." (Lev 19:17)
Paul Instructs the Churches: Do No Harm, Be Agreeable, Speak Truth
• "Love does no harm to a neighbor." (Rom 13:10)
• "Let each of us please (be agreeable with) his neighbor for his good leading to edification." (Rom14:2)
• "Let each one speak truth to his neighbor for we are members of one another." (Eph 4:25)
Closing Thoughts
The world has seen a lot of bad neighbors. We can really stand out by attempting to excel in this area. As we love our neighbors, we will experience God's presence in our own lives and bring His presence into the "neighborhoods" into which He sends us. Simple things such as being honest, truthful, agreeable and generous can work wonders. The future of good neighbors is bright. Being a good neighbor is very important work.
