Who is our "neighbor?"

At my district interview, the pastor conducting said interview asked me the question, "Why Lutheran?"  As in to ask/say, "Why do you want to me a Lutheran pastor?"  Not just why do I want to be a pastor, but specifically, "Why Lutheran?"  I have had many interactions with other Christians of all stripes during my life, most notably Roman Catholics.  But certainly others such as Baptists, Methodists, "non-denominational," Presbyterian, etc. etc.  

But wow, what a question this was.  I thought about it for a moment as if I never really gave this much deep thought, and then it hit me, it is because of the theology.  I really dare one to find a tradition richer in theology and theological education than the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod today.  It would be a difficult find.  But another reason why I love Lutheran theology is not just because I can wax poetically about a rugged piece of wood that a 33 year old Jewish man hung on and claimed as His throne.  But because that same rugged piece of wood and that same 33 year old Jewish man are where Lutheran theology is most fully alive.  It is not most fully alive stuffed behind never ending controversies and fights.  But rather it is most fully alive when it is used the way God intended it:

To love our neighbor.

In Martin Luther's Small Catechism under the Ten Commandments he talks about this "neighbor."  Commandment Number 5 is "You shall not murder."  Luther does a cool thing where he explains the commandments by asking and answering the question, What does this mean?  Luther's explanation of the fifth commandment is, "We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need."

Interesting.  Jesus re-defined this commandment by saying, "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment."  So do we get the picture?  Jesus says having anger is on par with murder.  Jesus goes on to talk about that if his brother does not have something and yet he does, he should withhold from offering it up lest he neglect his brother.  

Well Luther gets into that as well with his explanation of "neighbor."  We have to ask ourselves the question, "Is our children learning?"  Sorry, that was a former president, not Luther.  We have to ask ourselves, "Who is our neighbor?"  Are the poor our neighbor?  Are the sick, both physically and mentally?  If they are then we better heed the words of Christ and how Luther explains them by saying we should not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body but help and support him in every physical need.

"Well, that's just not possible, I can't possibly do that."  You're right, you can't, but we can.  Luther understood this, and I'm sure that Jesus guy did as well, as meaning every means every.  

Well then, at least it's only commandment five we have to worry about, right? Wrong.  "You shall not steal" What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor's money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income.

OK, well I don't steal, and I make a decent and honest living, no problem there.  Read on.  Yeah this is heavy stuff, but Luther goes on to basically say just because you don't steal or aren't dishonest doesn't mean you still can't break this commandment.  He goes on to say that we are to "help him to improve and protect his possessions and income."  Very little of us does this because we spend all our time looking at these things as ultimatums or things we have to do.  Look at them with great joy as things we get to do.  We get to help and support our neighbor! We get to help our neighbor to improve and protect our neighbor's possessions and income!  WE are the body of Christ.  There is no "I" in this.  So if anyone, including you (including me!) ever says, "I can't do this."  Correct, you can't.  That's why when we were baptized we were baptized into a family and not a go it alone, take as you please halfway membership.  No, we were bought with a price, and we have been adopted into a family.

There are many neighbors of ours out there, many family members, who need us to help and protect them in the worst way.  If it were up to a bunch of individuals it could not and would not get done.  But it isn't.  We, the church, move on as an unstoppable force.  Christ said the gates of hell won't prevail, and they surely won't.  

This is why I am a Lutheran.  Our rich theology is matched by none, and it's time for our practice to catch up.