22/03/2026
SUNDAY SERVICE // 22-03-2026
SPEAKER : Pastor Langat
THEME: WHO IS A NEIGHBOUR?
Leviticus 19:18, "You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord," commands active, practical goodwill toward others, mirroring the self-care one naturally extends to themselves. It is the foundation of the "Golden Rule" and defines holiness not just by avoiding sin, but by actively serving others.
Luke 10:25-37, Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan to define "neighbor" as anyone in need, regardless of background. In response to a lawyer asking how to inherit eternal life, Jesus highlights that loving God and loving one's neighbor—demonstrated by compassion and action—is the key to life.
✅Key Details of the Passage:
-The Test: A teacher of the law asks Jesus how to inherit eternal life to test him.
-The Answer: Jesus points him to the law, which the teacher summarizes as: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart... and your neighbor as yourself".
-The Question: To justify himself, the teacher asks, "And who is my neighbor?".
-The Parable: Jesus tells of a man (assumed to be Jewish) beaten and robbed on the road to Jericho.
👉A priest and a Levite pass by, ignoring the man.
👉A Samaritan—an enemy to the Jews—shows compassion, treats his wounds, and pays for his care.
We can summarize with the following four points:
1. Love goes beyond boundaries
The Samaritan helped someone who would normally be considered an enemy. True love is not limited by tribe, religion, or status.
2. Compassion is action
The priest and Levite may have known the Law, but they didn’t act. The Samaritan showed love through action.
3. Anyone in need is your neighbor
Jesus redefines “neighbor” — it’s not about who is close to you, but who you choose to help.
4. Mercy reflects God’s heart
God desires mercy, kindness, and practical love—not just religious activity.
Matthew 22:39 - And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself
Mark 12:31 - Jesus declares, "Love your neighbor as yourself," identifying it as the second most important commandment after loving God.
Matthew 5:44 is a central teaching from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, where he commands believers to "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you". This radical instruction calls for acting with kindness, blessing, and praying for those who treat you badly, rather than seeking revenge.
How can you be a good neighbour?
Proverbs 25:21 - If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink"
Proverbs 14:31 - oppressing the poor insults their Creator, while kindness to the needy honors Him. This verse teaches that treatment of others, especially the vulnerable, directly reflects one’s attitude toward God, linking social morality with divine honor.
Proverbs 3:28 Do not say to your neighbor, 'Come back tomorrow and I'll give it to you'—when you already have it with you.
Proverbs 26:19 - warns against deceiving a neighbor and then trivializing it with "I was only joking!" (NIV) or "Am not I in sport?" (KJV). This proverb condemns covering malice or reckless actions with humor, equating the perpetrator to a dangerous madman who shoots fire and arrows.
Proverbs 27:14 - If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.
How God demonstrates to being a good neighbour.
John 3:16 - emphasizing God's love, the sacrifice of Jesus, and the promise of salvation through faith.
He became a good neigboour to us.
As a good neighbour, Jesus loved all His disciples even Judas Iscariot whom He knew He would later betray Him.