March 21, 2023
“If you see your brother’s ox or sheep straying, you must not ignore it; make sure you return it to your brother.”
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“If you see your brother’s ox or sheep straying, you must not ignore it; make sure you return it to your brother.” Deuteronomy 22:1 (HCSB)
In the first three verses of Deuteronomy 22, we find a repetition of the law in Exodus 32: 4-5 regarding our duty to restore the straying ox or donkey and the lifting up of a fallen beast of burden. The law here is widened to include other lost articles that require restoration to their owners.
Exodus speaks of the things belonging to “your ENEMY.” Here, the wider term “your BROTHER” is used. Whether your neighbor is your brother or enemy, his property must be protected and restored. Failure to do so is accounted as theft. Leviticus 6:1-5
This situation reminds me of the passage in the New Testament, where an expert of the law asked Jesus, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Here’s their exchange:
“What is written in the law?” Jesus asked him. “How do you read it?”
He answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.”
“You’ve answered correctly,” Jesus told him. “Do this, and you will live.”
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?
**Jesus took up the question and told him the story of the “good Samaritan.”
Then Jesus asked, “Which of these three do you think proved to be a good neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”
“The one who showed mercy to him,” he said.
Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.” Luke 10:25a-37 (HCSB)
Some folks see those around them as brothers. Others see them as enemies.
If you love the Lord with all that is within you, you’ll treat your enemies as Jesus did, like brothers. Chances are, they’ll respond by being good neighbors.
Ask yourself: “How good am I at being a good neighbor?
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©Steve Wiggins 2021