What about if your neighbors are a gay couple who adopted two Christian boys and dressed them as girls. They also sublet to a group transvestites who go door to door to sell women's underwear and lipstick. One time you saw your gay neighbors make out right in front of your house. They also burned bunch of bibles in their backyard (they called the fire department to warn them about the yard garbage fire).
Your son goes to the same school as the two boys and fell in love with one of them. He told you that he will marry one of them.
They also have a nice statue of Jesus sitting on a massive cock made out of wood surrounded by the village people Apostles in their backyard.
Your other neighbor is a swinger couple who host swinger's parties in their backyard. They keep inviting you to their parties to bang some hot 20 year olds with massive boobs but you keep refusing, you dream about it, but instead you go and read the bible with your wife.
1. What does the Bible say how to deal with your neighbors?
2. What would the people in the ancient Israel do to your neighbors after reading the Bible?
There are many places in the Bible that show what we are to do regarding our neighbor. One of them is Mark 12:31 (partial):
Love your neighbor as yourself.
The next question has to do with who your neighbors are. Jesus says it this way, Luke 10:30:
29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, And who is my neighbor?
30In reply Jesus said: A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two denariie and gave them to the innkeeper. Look after him, he said, and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.
36Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?
37The expert in the law replied, The one who had mercy on him.
Jesus told him, Go and do likewise.
Now that we know who our neighbors are, we need to distinguish between closer neighbors, and neighbors who are farther away. Since closer neighbors may be family members who you are responsible for, you have to judge which neighbors you might have to protect from other neighbors who are farther away.
Next, you have to judge between neighbors and enemies, or neighbors who might not be neighbors, but might be enemies. Jesus says in Matthew 5:43-48:
43You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Is all this easy to do? Not all the time. For example, you might have to treat some neighbors harshly, both to protect other neighbors, and also to straighten those "naughty" neighbors out. You might even have to consider some of your neighbors to be enemies if they are adamant in their incorrect living. But you have love for them in your heart even as you straighten them out, and protect other neighbors from them.
God guides His people in the best ways to do all of this.
