In "Doctrinal Discussion" Jason Lindahl writes:
To love your neighbor as yourself, the second-highest commandment according to Jesus, is highly practical. It looks like Proverbs 25, where we read, “Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbor hath put thee to shame” (v. 8). In other words, when you find canine excrement in your front yard, do not automatically assume your neighbor's poodle is to blame and fling the offensive substance over the bordering fence into his property. Perhaps a friendly discussion of the problem is in order, as the next couple of verses state: “Debate thy cause with thy neigh-bor himself; and discover not a secret to another: lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away.” That is, don't go blabbing to all the other neighbors that Joe next door lets his poodle run wild, instead of going and talking the matter over with Joe himself. When you find out that Joe's dog got run over by a car six months ago and that some other animal was responsible for the deposit in your yard, you are going to feel pretty ashamed. Furthermore, the town gossip becomes the subject of scornful gossip himself. Also, when we go to talk to Joe about the problem, our speech should be gracious and non-accusing, as verse 11 says: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” Of course, upon further reflection, we may decide, probably correctly, that it is not worth making a big deal over the situation, and simply toss the refuse in the garbage can. The command to love our neighbors as ourselves comes from the Book of Leviticus and in context it reads, “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy peo-ple, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD” (19:18). Perhaps Joe's dog is to blame; perhaps Joe is careless and inconsiderate. Consider forgiveness. Take Joe a loaf of bread. Back to Proverbs 25: “If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: for thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee” (vs. 21, 22). On the other hand, perhaps Joe is a great guy, friendly, generous, and helpful. Perhaps you enjoy talking to him and find it convenient to run over every so often and borrow his hedge trimmer. Keep in mind verse 17 of our chapter: “Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbor's house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.” And certainly, whatever you do, don't let your dog run loose in Joe's yard!
Source: Building Christian Relationships: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 74.
