The Rest of the Most Important Commandment
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A man was working a crossword puzzle and asked, "What is a four letter word for a strong emotional reaction toward a difficult person?" Someone standing nearby said, "The answer is hate." A lady interrupted and said, "No, the answer is love!" Everyone is working that same crossword puzzle, but the way you answer is up to you.
Peanuts picture
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
In the second part of Jesus’ reply he quotes
In the second part of Jesus’ reply he quotes
“ ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
“ ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
The two commandments are if different places in the Bible, but Jesus puts them together, indicating that both are equal in weight and inseparable. A whole-hearted love for God necessarily finds its expression in a selfless concern for others which decides and acts in a manner consistent with itself.
The two commandments are if different places in the Bible, but Jesus puts them together, indicating that both are equal in weight and inseparable. A whole-hearted love for God necessarily finds its expression in a selfless concern for others which decides and acts in a manner consistent with itself.
Paul goes so far as to say
The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
John tells us
John tells us
If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Who is our neighbor
Who is our neighbor
Who is our neighbor
Who is our neighbor
Neighbor – one who is near, one’s fellow human being
Even in the OT the requirement to love is expanded to the outside of Israel:
The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
In another instance () an expert in the law asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus asks him what he thinks. The lawyer responds with love God and love your neighbor, but then he wants definition. He asks, “Who is my neighbor?” In other words, where is the line, who’s in and who’s out? Who do I have to love and who don’t I?
In another instance () an expert in the law asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus asks him what he thinks. The lawyer responds with love God and love your neighbor, but then he wants definition. He asks, “Who is my neighbor?” In other words, where is the line, who’s in and who’s out? Who do I have to love and who don’t I?
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Why love our neighbor
Why love our neighbor
Why love our neighbor
Why love our neighbor
Obedience to Christ’s command
Because God loves them
This is how we show our love for God
How do we love our neighbor
How do we love our neighbor
It’s not always easy to know how to show love. Not giving a person what they want but what they need. Sometimes it means saying ‘no’, showing tough love.
Pray for wisdom
As ourselves
The love a person has naturally for himself is not to focus solely on himself—a constant tendency—but should be directed equally toward others. The statement “as yourself” merely acknowledges that human beings do love themselves—far too much in fact—and that God deserves as much—actually far more.
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In the same way God loves us
Have compassion
If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
Video
Video
All the longings that I have for my own safety and health and success and happiness I now feel for that other person as though he were me.
The two commandments Jesus gives really do go together. We cannot truly love our neighbor unless we love God, and if we truly love God we will love our neighbor.