Breakfast with Christ — A Command: Love Your Neighbor

Suggested music: https://open.spotify.com/track/0rWblplRg5P7pdKcrvGpkj?si=3b8f38f15dfe46eb

Matthew 22:34–40 (NBLA) The Great Commandment 34 When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question to test Him: 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Wow! Hello — this week arrived with a huge, literal lesson on the sovereignty of God. Every day I’m amazed that we truly can do nothing against His will and justice. How did I used to think before? As my friend Toñito says, “In ten seconds God can change everything.” Yet at the same time, there’s a deep joy: God is truly teaching me to rest in Him today, and I hope that’s true for you as well.

I went out on a day trip with some friends and, on the way back home, we stopped to eat because the journey had been long and there was still a lot ahead. That day I almost died — something got stuck in my throat, and those seconds were the longest and tensest of my life. You could say I was twenty seconds from losing consciousness and not making it. Finally, David managed to shake me and press my abdomen, and by the work of Grace and Mercy I could breathe again. And wow — these have been lessons from God. Even in the chaos, my soul and mind were prepared. Naturally, the body fights to breathe, but within me I was getting ready to die and see Christ — and so many things flash through your mind in that instant. Thank God we’re breathing today. What gratitude, that He keeps us here, learning more about Him and His transforming power. Since we’re still alive, let’s grab that little coffee or breakfast with Christ one more week.

We’re close to finishing our reading of J. I. Packer’s Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. We’ve come to the point — or one of the most important points to understand beyond everything we’ve learned — and, as a church, we’re also studying 1 John 3. It’s simple, another black-and-white example: either you love your neighbor, or you simply are not a child of God. Simple — and it hits hard. Yes, pause here… Think about your entire social circle: there must not be anyone there, in your thoughts, who stirs up resentment or hatred in you. It happened to me, and I don’t fully understand it, but I’ve already asked — as I once learned from Carito — for God to please create a creative opportunity, a special moment, and to bring those people to whom I could still extend forgiveness or tell them that, in the love of Christ, He made me love them even if it tore my heart into twenty pieces.

And that’s exactly where we’re going: to know JESUS’ STANDARD, the highest one, which sets this absolute condition — TO LOVE. But not just to love: TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR. Yes, the one who betrayed you, the one who spoke ill of you, the one who murdered a relative or a child, or the person who, for whatever reason, made a 180-degree turn in their life. And let’s not forget that many times we were the ones who caused this in someone else; hence the need to repent and be converted, as we studied in the previous reflection.

And in Packer’s second point, “III. WHAT IS THE MOTIVE OF EVANGELISM?”, we stress the motivation: to love our neighbor.

“The second motive that should impel us toward steady evangelism is love for our neighbor, the desire that our neighbor be saved. The hope of winning the lost for Christ is an inexpressible sign that springs from the heart of all who have been born again. The Lord Jesus Christ reaffirms the Old Testament commandment that we must love our neighbors as we love ourselves.” — J. I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God.

The church exists to present the gospel, and this happens only when God causes us to be born again (John 3). We must seize every opportunity we have — even if the moment is complicated — to present the gospel of salvation. We can enjoy and share moments with others, but this framework must always be present in our conscience.

“If we truly love our neighbor as ourselves, we will seize every opportunity we have to share with them the good news of salvation in Christ Jesus. This should not be something we have to overthink, much less argue about. The impulse to evangelize should spring spontaneously from our hearts when we see our neighbor’s need.” — J. I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God.

But who is our neighbor?

“ ‘And who is my neighbor?’ When the lawyer asked our Lord this question, He answered with the parable of the Good Samaritan. The parable teaches that any person in need is your neighbor. God has placed them in your path for you to help, and it is our responsibility to meet their need — whatever it may be. ‘Go, and do likewise,’ Jesus says to the lawyer, and He says the same to each of us.” — J. I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God.

If you’ve made it this far, let me tell you: you no longer have any excuse. Whatever the need — of any kind, material or spiritual — we are obligated to attend to it in our neighbor. There will always be someone who needs something. When Jesus referred to the harvest in Matthew 9:37, He surely meant this: either you work, or you simply don’t work for the Kingdom of God. Every day someone will be in need, and remember that God uses us as instruments so they can hear the only and most important thing every person in this world needs: Him — Jesus the Savior.

Packer emphasized the gratitude we have, the attitude of knowing that God rescued and saved us first. We must always be thinking of our neighbor because of the love that was given to us.

But there’s another very strong contrast: it is terrible not to want to preach the gospel. Packer puts it this way:

“It is tragic and abominable when Christians lack the desire to share what was given to them.” — J. I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God.

We can’t sugar-coat anything or speak nicely just to please you. This is our reality — another moment to look inward. Why are we here? Repenting for not acting on this will be what stirs God to awaken this desire in us so that we can preach the gospel to an unbeliever. God, may this be our life — may we always put Your Word into action. If not, what are we even doing?

There’s also this striking contrast and reality that Packer exposes: the rejection we will receive in our social circles. This can mean losing someone you love dearly. We won’t know their response until we present the gospel and, in love, call them to the repentance that will save them from judgment and condemnation.

“If we avoid this responsibility, we are giving ourselves over to sin and to Satan. Sometimes we fear we’ll be rejected in certain social circles if we talk about the gospel; other times we refuse the opportunity because we feel ridiculous speaking about religion in certain circumstances. If this is the case, we must kneel and ask God whether these things justify not loving our neighbor. And if it isn’t shame that holds us back, then it is pride — blind and evil — and, in the end, hatred of our neighbor. If this is the case, we must ask ourselves: what matters more, my reputation or their salvation? God does not accept shame and pride, cowardice and presumption, as excuses for failing to keep His commandments. We must ask for grace so that we may truly be ashamed of ourselves and thus be flooded with the love of God, so we can flood our neighbor with the same love. Only then will we be able to share the gospel with spontaneity, joy, and longing.” — J. I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God.

Turn off the lights and let’s go… Wow — what matters more, my reputation or their salvation?

This is where God wants to take us. We need courage and God’s wisdom to stand before anyone who needs to hear this — not with “Bible-thumping,” but with the love and joy we’ve received and are learning.

Rodri taught us something like this: “Look, do you have a moment, a coffee — twenty minutes? I want to show you something.” But before that, we pray and ask God for His backing, because we are going to present what could very well save their lives from eternal condemnation in hell. And we already know this is God’s work and the Holy Spirit’s.

If we need to ask for forgiveness, we do it. And then we speak: Who is God? Why is a person a lost sinner? Present the cross and present their responsibility. And that’s it — simple and clear — trusting that we have presented the gospel. We have this confidence: “The gospel of God is power for salvation,” as Scripture says.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” — Romans 1:16

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us; we implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God!” — 2 Corinthians 5:20

Give me twenty minutes to talk to you about the most important thing that exists! Let’s have a coffee, a lunch, dinner — let’s go for a walk, a drive! This is what I wanted to tell you!

Even though we’re not all called to do the same things — we have different gifts and talents — we all have the responsibility to evangelize. We must pray and never trust in our gifts. It’s a trap.

“It’s a trap to trust in gifts. A very big trap. We must trust the Giver, not the gift.” — Rodrigo Zamora

If God converted us, He can do it with the unbeliever; this must be our confidence. “When will this person repent? Never!” we might think. God can do it — just as He did with us — but we must present this gospel to them.

Don’t let anyone pull you out of this framework with philosophies or words. We must always return to the gospel, because God set up that scenario for us to speak — until that person tells you they don’t want to continue or gives clear signs of disinterest. If so, as Rodri says, “Let’s talk about soccer.” With love and courtesy, we handle those situations. Don’t fall into the trap of drifting away from the gospel.

“We will not try to violate their personalities, nor exploit their weaknesses, nor ignore their feelings. What we will try to do is show the reality of our friendship and interest by sharing our most valuable knowledge with them. And this spirit of friendship and interest will shine in everything we communicate — whether from the pulpit or in private — no matter how drastic the truths we reveal may be.” — J. I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God.

There is a God who created everything that exists. Sin will always separate us from the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). The sacrifice of Christ was for the salvation of everyone who believes and receives Him, so they will not spend eternity in the lake of fire. And we will always have the responsibility to nurture our holiness, the holiness God demands of us; in this way we will truly know how much God has worked in us, to live in peace, loving everyone equally.

Galatians 6:10 “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”