And Who Is My Neighbor?

I've had more questions than answers over the last couple of years when it comes to the world we live in and our purpose in it. So I've often gone big picture to what I know is fact. Love God. Love our neighbor. Most of us know who God is. And who is our neighbor?

Yesterday I went over to check on Mike as he was parking his rig where he was working south of Pella. Being a neighbor to his brother Kurt.

About 80 generations ago a religious leader asked Jesus this question, "And who is my neighbor?" Luke, an eye witness, and the writer of the story in Luke 10 says he was testing Jesus. In the context of the story it seems the question had some legalistic connotation behind it as the church leader of that day was hoping to make himself feel good by checking this box.

Last Sunday noon Becky, Brian, and family went to see Grandma where Becky and Hazel sang a song to my Mom that she had actually taught to Becky when she was a little girl. As you can see below Mom is singing right along. 4 of those earlier 80 generations mentioned are in this story. Mother, myself taking the picture, our daughter Becky, and granddaughter Hazel.

Jesus answers this fellow's question by telling him a story (parable) about a local guy who got robbed, beat up, and left for dead along the road. A pastor and a doctor both come by the injured gentleman however because of their busy schedules and rules, they hurry on by.

Earlier this week Mike got up at 2am and put a buffalo brisket on the smoker for lunch for our farming crew. Kurt made his famous baked beans. And Jan added dessert. Thanks folks. It was delicious.

Jesus says a despised foreigner (a Samaritan who the Jews hated) came by the accident, stopped, checked, loaded the hurt guy up, brought him to the hospital, told folks to get him better, and paid for the whole deal.

Mark was a neighbor to his Dad this week by helping me put up a sign our kids had made for Jan and I for Christmas. Thanks Mark.

Jesus finishes the story by asking which of the three was a neighbor to the man attacked? The religious fellow who asked the question to justify his actions replied, "The one who showed mercy." Jesus said, "Yep, now go and do the same."

Jan and I went to Pella to a Junior High band concert Thursday evening. Zach is on the drums. Elliott and Ezra are on the bleachers waiting for their classes turn.

We're getting along pretty well delivering seed. Below Karl and Seth are visiting after unloading Ed's corn and beans.

With a forecast of cool and wet weather moving in, we gathered up our seed tenders and got them ready for planting season.

We're continuing to work on the sprayers and semi tenders. It doesn't look like the fields will be ready, however we often start spraying pre (before planting) on acres going to soybeans around the first of April.

With a wet cool week we have some mud in southern Iowa. So we hauled some rock with Mark's truck. We use 3 inch clean if we need a base and 1 1/2 clean if we are just adding to existing yard. Our rock around here is limestone.

I was wanting to be a neighbor to Mark for using his truck so I went to Larry's new truck wash just south of Oskaloosa. While there I caught up with John. He and I had crossed paths a number of years ago when he sold and serviced tires.

There is a giving side as well as a receiving side to being a neighbor. And I couldn't ask for better neighbors than the folks I get to work with both family as well as full-time and part-time help. We serviced older tractors this week. Usually a once a year job.

Yesterday Mike worked on trees growing on CRP acres. In our part of the country trees just sort of start growing if not kept in check on fallow land, terraces, and fence-rows.

Gideon and Noah got home yesterday afternoon after spending the week in San Antonio, TX shooting skeet for William Penn University. We visited about Gideon's pickup in our farm shop and I forgot to ask how Texas went. Bummer.

I take no credit for this picture. It's a picture of a young Russian family. Is there a legalistic mileage limit to who our neighbors are? I think not. Early in the week I came up with ten surprising similarities comparing our countries events over the last two years with the current Ukraine invasion. However while I think we need to be critical thinkers, and keep up with our political nonsense, I'm not sure that should be my main focus. Occasionally I will check an analytical page that tells me which country folks are joining us on this weekly visit. It's vague. Besides the USA it's usually countries I have visited and have friends in, a small group in Italy I don't know, and this past week 8 souls from Russia. 

When Jesus told the story of The Good Samaritan to the religious leader I left out an important point. He said the despised Samaritan had compassion on the guy laying along the road. I wonder how many times we pass by on the other side today. We look over and hear about the crowds in Afghanistan, in Canada, in our own country, in Ukraine, and in Russia. But we don't see the people. Sometimes I think my passion for preserving our values and freedoms for our grandchildren blurs my view in seeing and having compassion. When Jesus walked on earth he had neighbors the church leaders of the day did not expect.

80 generations ago Peter also had more questions than answers after Jesus died (for our sins by the way). He was convinced Christ came to defeat the corrupt and Godless Romans and preserve their freedoms and values. After talking too much, goofing up and denying his Lord, he decided he would just go back to his old job. We talked about wolves in the sheep last week. After an unsuccessful Saturday night of fishing Peter has an unexpected visit from Jesus where Jesus asks Peter to take care of his sheep. Peter turned his attention from himself to his neighbors. We should do no less.

 

This is another picture I take no credit for. I saw it on one of Jan's FB friends page and loved it. Blessings. Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by.