Series Introduction:

At the very heart of the Christian message lies Jesus’ commandment to love God and to love our neighbour as ourselves. Not one without the other. Who is my neighbour? And what does it mean to love my neighbour? In this series of daily Bible devotions, we will reflect on some key texts about the theme: ‘Love your neighbour’ and pray for God’s grace and strength to respond as followers of Jesus.

Reflection:

For whom are we responsible? Are there limits to love of neighbour? Are they only people like me, members of my family, my church, my local neighbourhood, my nation, my religion? The people of Israel saw fellow members of the Jewish covenant as their neighbours. They were bound together by race and religion. They shared a common ethnicity and faith. Their neighbourly acts were focussed primarily therefore on their own ‘chosen’ people, fellow Israelites. This is totally understandable when we realize the people were often battered by neighbouring (foreign) military powers who oppressed them, took them away into exile or disrespected their religious practices and faith in the one Lord God (Yahweh).

But how were they to act towards those who not members of the chosen people like the sojourners, the poor, the aliens, the strangers who visited their lands?

Moses instructed the people to show compassion and justice to foreigners because they themselves were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

Prayer:  Loving Lord, I am sorry for the times when I gossip and speak unkindly of others or when I attribute false or ulterior motives to the actions of neighbours, colleagues and friends. Please forgive me and help me to act and speak with honesty and integrity; to treat others with respect and kindness as I myself would like to be treated.