22:1-30 -
Care for ‘your brother’ (1-4). Our caring is not to be selective – ‘If
the brother does not live near you or if you do not know who he is’
(2). When Jesus says, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ (Luke 10:27), He
means much more than loving the people who live near us, the people
that we know. The ‘Samaritan’ didn’t know ‘the man who fell into the
hands of robbers’ (Luke 10:30,33). ‘Jews did not associate with
Samaritans’ (John 4:9). Jesus says, ‘Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44).
Love your enemies with the love of the Lord – ‘when we were God’s
enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son’ (Romans
5:8,10). Don’t love the ways of those who ‘live as enemies of the Cross
of Christ’ (Philippians 3:18). ‘Purge the evil from the midst of you’
(21-22,24).
23:1-25
- God sees us as we really are. He ‘looks on the heart’ as well as
‘the outward appearance’. We must live to please Him, praying, ‘Search
me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if
there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!’ (14;
1 Samuel 16:7; Psalm 139: 23-24). God calls us to be holy: ‘you shall
keep yourself from every evil thing’ (9). This ‘holiness’ is not to be a
proud, arrogant thing. It is to be filled with compassionate caring.
Don’t write anyone off, saying, ‘They’re not our kind of people’ (7).
Don’t be out for all you can get for yourself without any thought of how
your actions affect other people (24-25). Let your holiness be real.
Don’t say one thing and do another. Don’t pretend to be more ‘holy’ than
you really are. Choose to be holy – every day (21-23).
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