“He who despises his neighbor sins; but he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he” (Proverbs 14:21).
When a certain lawyer asked Jesus “Who is my neighbor?” he got far more than he bargained for and we got a powerful and timeless answer in the “parable of the good Samaritan” (Luke 10:25-37).
Being a good neighbor has always been an essential characteristic of God’s people. It is also a telltale trait of a righteous and wise person.
From the counsel of Solomon alone, we learn the following about being a good neighbor:
- Do not lie to, defraud, or deceive your neighbor (Prov. 3:28, 26:19).
- Do not lie about your neighbor (Prov. 24:28, 25:18).
- Do not devise evil against your neighbor (Prov. 3:29).
- Even if you do not like your neighbor, do not despise him (Prov. 11:12), even if he is poor (Prov. 14:20-21).
- Do not go hastily to court against your neighbor; it might backfire on you (Prov. 25:8).
- Do not weary your neighbor by being a frequent, uninvited visitor (Prov. 25:17).
- Beware of a neighbor who tries to flatter you (Prov. 29:5).
- Do not touch your neighbor’s spouse (Prov. 6:29).
- If you are wicked and desire to do evil, do not be surprised when your neighbor does not like or respect you (Prov. 21:10).
- Better is a good neighbor nearby than a brother far away (Prov. 27:10).
