Don't Dis

(Proverbs 11:12 KJV)  He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.

Do you have a “neighbor” (7453) that is less than perfect?  We have a mixture around us as I am sure most people do.  What is your attitude toward your neighbors?  This is another way of expressing what Jesus was saying,

(Matthew 19:19 KJV)  Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

And many people don’t seem to realize that Jesus was simply quoting the Old Testament,

(Leviticus 19:18 KJV)  Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

The world often “despises” (936) its neighbor.  A Christian is not allowed to do so.  We have a term that has crept into our vocabulary, “dis.”  It is part of the rap vocabulary and means to “disrespect.”  This is the meaning of “despise” here.  It is not wise to dis your neighbor.

But we are not really talking about “wisdom” (3820) .  This is not the standard word for “wisdom.”  The NASB uses “sense”.  The word is usually translated “heart” or “mind.”  You could say that if you are showing disrespect for people around you, you have no heart.

You don’t need to ask who your neighbor is.  Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan to illustrate that.  Even our enemies are to be shown courtesy and kindness.

So?  Be different.  Be Christlike.  Apply the love of Christ with a special emphasis on the difficult people of our day.