Loving Thy Neighbor: A Command from Christ

Loving Thy Neighbor: A Command from Christ

One of the central teachings of Jesus Christ is the command to love our neighbor. It is a foundational principle of Christian living, and yet, it is often misunderstood or overlooked. This simple yet profound commandment touches every aspect of our faith and life. Let’s explore what Jesus taught about loving our neighbors and how we can live out this commandment in our daily walk with God.

The Greatest Commandment

When Jesus was asked, “Which is the great commandment in the law?” He responded with two inseparable commands:

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)

Here, Jesus emphasizes that love for God and love for our neighbor are intertwined. Our relationship with God is reflected in how we treat others. If we truly love God, it will be evident in how we interact with those around us. Loving our neighbor is not just a suggestion—it is a commandment, placed alongside the love we are to have for God.

Who Is My Neighbor?

The question of “Who is my neighbor?” was posed to Jesus, and He answered it with the well-known Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). In this story, a man is beaten and left half-dead on the road. A priest and a Levite pass by, ignoring the man in need. But a Samaritan, someone from a group despised by the Jews, stops to help. He tends to the man’s wounds, takes him to an inn, and pays for his care.

Through this parable, Jesus teaches that our neighbor is not just the person we like or the one who is easy to love, but anyone in need, even those we might normally overlook or avoid. Love for our neighbor extends beyond boundaries of race, nationality, or status. It challenges us to show compassion to all, especially those who are different from us or who we might consider our enemies.

Love in Action

Loving our neighbor is more than just a feeling or a sentiment. It requires action. The apostle John reminds us that love must be expressed through our deeds, not just words:

“But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:17-18)

True love for our neighbor is demonstrated through our willingness to help and serve, especially when it costs us something. It could be giving of our time, resources, or simply offering a listening ear. Genuine love shows up in practical, everyday ways, reflecting the selfless love of Christ.

Love Without Judgment

Jesus also calls us to love without judgment. In Matthew 7:1-5, He warns against being quick to judge others, reminding us that the same measure we use to judge will be used against us. Instead of focusing on the faults of others, we are to look inward and address our own shortcomings.

When we love our neighbor, we don’t hold their past or present mistakes against them. We see them through the lens of grace, just as Christ sees us. The love of Christ is unconditional, and He expects us to extend that same grace to others, knowing that none of us are perfect.

Loving Our Enemies

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of loving our neighbor is Jesus’ command to love our enemies. In Matthew 5:44, He instructs us to “love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”

This kind of love goes against our natural instincts. It’s easy to love those who are kind to us, but loving those who have wronged us requires divine grace. Yet, this is exactly what Christ did for us. While we were still sinners and enemies of God, He loved us enough to die for us (Romans 5:8). In the same way, we are called to show love, even to those who oppose us.

Conclusion

Loving our neighbor is one of the highest callings of the Christian life. It is more than just an abstract concept; it is a tangible reflection of our love for God. Through the teachings of Jesus, we learn that our neighbor is anyone in need, that love requires action, and that we are to love without judgment—even our enemies.

As followers of Christ, we must continually strive to embody this love in our daily lives. By doing so, we reflect the love of God to a world that desperately needs it. Let us heed the words of Jesus and love our neighbors as ourselves, for in doing so, we fulfill the law of Christ.