These pages began as
a study of what the Bible meant by "Love your neighbor as much as you love
yourself."It soon became clear that the Word meant "love and help
your neighbors (James 2:8)." It was a love of action, not just of feeling. It
that shared the Gospel with people, but also picked up those life had knocked down. It
proved Gods love was real by helping people through hard times It permeated the
early Christian church, yet had its roots before the time of Moses.
Is Gods love limited to our spiritual needs?
The Bible clearly, repeatedly teaches that His love for us reaches into all areas
of our lives. Love for our neighbors touches both their spiritual and material needs.
Helping with material needs proves to our "neighbors" that we also love them
spiritually. Neglecting them proves we do not.
How important is a "love and help" ministry?
Jesus said that the command to love and help our neighbors is "like unto" the
command to love God with all our hearts. We cant truly love God without also loving
and helping our neighbors nor, I believe, fully love our neighbors without also
loving God.
Who are our "neighbors?"
Not just those who live near us, but everyone, anywhere, who is in need. Jesus said he
will judge our love for him by how we help "the least of these my brothers."
From the beginning to the end of the Bible, our "neighbors" are portrayed as our
churchs, communitys, nations, and the worlds needy.
Why are our "neighbors" in need?
For many years I assumed the needy were lazy, on drugs, or alcoholics. But throughout
the Bible God consistently looks on most of them as honest, hard-working people made poor
by events they couldnt control or by the dishonesty or greed of the rich. My
familys own experiences in the six years following my defense layoff showed us the
same thing. The many people we met whod been suddenly, unexpectedly thrust into
poverty were the same hard working, honest people the Bible described.
Whats the Biblical balance between work and help?
When God gave the Israelites manna, everyone who could gather did do so each morning.
Then those whod gathered shared with those who couldnt do it, or couldnt
find enough.
When the Israelites followed this rule, there was enough for everyone. When they
didnt, there was not.
Whats Gods standard for how much we should help the needy?
Long-term, a third of everyones tithes were used to help the needy, like
immigrants, orphans and widows. That was the only commandment in the Law
that God required the Israelites to certify theyd done.
The early church clearly went beyond that standard. There are good reasons to believe
that God still expects us to give that much today.
What if we dont help our neighbors?
Few sins make God as angry with a nation as neglecting its "neighbors." God
repeatedly calls those who dont help the poor "evil." He curses them.
Ezekiel 16: 48-50 states that God didnt destroy Sodom for homosexuality, but because
it let its poor and needy suffer! Isaiah and Amos agree. And six Old Testament prophets
(Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, Micah and Zechariah) say that Israels treatment of
its poor was a major reason God sent that nation into captivity.
How can we know who needs help and how we should give it?
Here are three simple, basic principles.
Know the Word, including the many passages that talk about loving and helping
our neighbors.
Know your neighbors. Meet the real people around you. Talk with them. Listen.
Never assume people are the way political parties or the media says they are. Be a
shepherd. See the real problems each of your real sheep are or are not really having.
Match real solutions to real problems.
Live BOTH commandments. Love God and others through action.. Let your
love and help for your neighbors prove that your love for God is real.