The First Insurance Agent

Like a good neighbor... State Farm is there. When the thought for this blog came to me this morning, of course so did the old jingle, so since I am being tortured with it, I thought I would share the blessing! I was reading this morning, when I noticed something that I hadn't seen before. I always figured that insurance was a relatively new concept. Nowadays, insurance companies are synonymous with greed and lobby groups. Yet, as I did a little research, I was reminded that God actually came up with the whole concept of insurance. Don't believe me? Do a word search on the word "neighbor" and read some of the passages associated with it. We get some of our principles of modern insurance from what we see in the Word. I believe however, that we are a long way off of what was intended... but anyway, I don't want to get off on too much of a rabbit trail.

This morning I found a record of what I believe may be the first insurance agent. I found it in what is probably one of the most well-known parables that Jesus taught. Have you guessed it... the good Samaritan! This exchange between a lawyer and the Master was centered around self-righteousness. We know this by a little phrase hidden in the discussion in verse 29, "But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?'" This man was trying to impress the Master with his own good works of the Law and Christ hits him right between the eyes with the truth. He explains what the good neighbor was in the parable and that this man, considered to be pond scum to the average Jew, was far more righteous than this religious expert. The expert in the law got the point, but do we?

The image of Christians, especially in America ain't too great if you haven't noticed, and I think much of this perception is well-founded. We isolate ourselves from "the world" mostly citing passages like James 4:4 as the justification for it. However, we oft forget passages like John 17 where Christ prays that we not be removed from the world, but rather that we are protected from the Evil One. However, too often, once people become Christians, they begin the process of slowly removing themselves from the world we were called to influence and season as Salt and Light. I cannot tell you how many people I have heard ask that God remove them from their pagan jobs so they can work at a "Christian" company. And yet if God answered their prayers He would be removing some of the only light in that company!

We must engage our culture, not run from it. We can no longer walk on the other side of the road just because these folks don't share the same political or social views as we. God places in our paths people that need us to bind their wounds and care for them, but instead, we oft shirk off our role to professional organizations because we are too busy with our schedules to do anything. Jesus told the disciples on the mountainside faced with a crowd of hungry people... the same thing I think He is telling us, "YOU feed them!" One of the main reasons non-believers have the perceptions of Christian that they do is that they do not know any.

This must change brother and sisters! If we are too busy to know our neighbors let alone love them, then we are too busy! If we continue to huddle around our Christian talk shows and just stew in our indignation we will continue to walk farther and father on the other side of the road from those we are meant to love. I am not suggesting that we abandon the pursuit of personal holiness, that is absurd. But can no longer continue to elevate ourselves above thsoe we are called to love. We must adopt the new motto, "Like a good neighbor, Christians are there!" I know it's corny, but it's true. Are you a good neighbor?