I started this blog after hearing someone talk about the concept of the stranger in the bible. There is often talk about loving our neighbour which translates to most people as looking after those people like us, but is there a much greater image in the bible.
The Old testament has one reference to not doing evil against your neighbour (Zech 8:17) but there are around 37 references to loving, protecting and caring for the stranger.
Skip to the New testament and the story that comes to mind is that of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37.
Here a man asks Jesus what he has to do gain eternal life, to which Jesus responds with a question himself, "what is written in the law?". The man replies with the answer "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'".
Jesus tells him he has answered correctly and if he follows this command he will live. The man though is not happy with this response and asks Jesus, who is my neighbour? to which Jesus reply's with a story.
A man is mugged and left for dead on the road to Jericho. First, a Pharisee went by saw the man but walked by. Second, a Sadducee went by but again saw the man and wandered by. Finally, a Samaritan wandered by saw the man and acted. He took him to an inn, cleaned him up and paid for his care.
Jesus asked the man, "which one of the three was a neighbour to the man?" the man reply's the one who had mercy and Jesus tells him to go do likewise.
So the question is "which one was a neighbour?" and the answer is "the one who had mercy". it has nothing to do with knowing the person or being like them (Jesus chooses a Jew and Samaritan who were sworn enemies) but is everything to do with caring for someone in need, even if you have never met them before.
This leads me to another story of Jesus in Matthew 25. In this Jesus says this;
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
In this story we see the face of the stranger in the bible, for when we have mercy on those that need it we do it for Jesus himself. The stranger of the Old testament and the New testament, the oppressed, hungry, downtrodden and forgotten people in the world, the people we do not know but act with love and mercy towards, for that which we do for these people we do for God.
So this blog is about seeking the stranger, the one who needs to be rescued from oppression, the one that needs feeding, for those that are alone and for those that need to be shown love.
For the questions that need to be asked and addressed, for the things that are believed that hold others by the throat and for looking at a new way forward.
For trying to get to know Jesus more, so we can recognise him in others, so he is less of a stranger.
