Unit 2: Inclusive Love 🥰
Loving Your Neighbor | Bible Background • Leviticus 19:18; Printed Text • Luke 10:25-37 | Devotional Reading • John 5:1-15
AIM FOR CHANGE
By the end of this lesson, we will EXPLORE the concept of neighbor in the conversation between Jesus and the lawyer, VALUE all people as God does, and SHARE love and mercy with those who are in need, even those who are different from us.
IN FOCUS
She just could not understand him. Truthfully, she had no desire to. He was just too different. The old man did not think like her, look like her, or believe as she did. He had a reputation for being cold and sometimes rude. The neighborhood children were afraid of him, and her neighbors kept their distance. Why should she be the one to reach out now that he was ill? Where were his children? They probably avoided him for good reason. Where were his friends? Ha! He probably didn’t have any. Yet, she felt drawn to him. So, Mary brought Mr. Martinez a meal. He invited her to share it with him.
Three hours later, she realized how dreadfully wrong she had been. Mr. Martinez was a man filled with pain as a result of being wrongly accused of a crime. Having been betrayed by a “friend,” he was slow to trust. He lost his family in the process and was overwhelmed by guilt and feelings of abandonment. His pride had prevented him from reconnecting with them upon being released from prison. Now he suffered— alone. By serving him one meal, Mary became a true neighbor and gave him hope. We are exhorted to love God and our neighbors. This lesson reveals the connection between the two and encourages us to expand our definition of neighbor.
Do you have more trouble giving help to or accepting help from a stranger?