When you think of Christianity, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Holidays like Christmas and Easter? A list of rules and being “religious”? Or maybe Jesus Himself? What if we could boil the entire Bible down to one easy-to-remember thing for Christians? “What would Jesus do?” Or follow the 10 Commandments? Pray every day? Read your Bible every day? Those are great, but what if there’s something even simpler?
And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:35-40 ESV
And Love Your Neighbor
Those same religious men weren’t known for loving their neighbors. They often went out of their way to avoid people. The religious men of Jesus’ day came to him and gave him a challenge. What is the greatest of all the rules? What is the most important rule? Jesus responded with Love God and that answer pleased them. After all these religious men had dedicated their entire lives to the things of God. Recognizing how much they loved the answer Jesus gave them a part two. And love your neighbor.
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denariiand gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” Luke 10:29-37 ESV
Who is My Neighbor?
Who is my neighbor? According to the story Jesus tells our neighbor is anyone who you meet in the street. Whoever comes across your path. To them you should treat them as you want to be treated. Seems simple enough but helping those in your path is inconvenient. The good Samaritan (A foreigner who the religious men would have avoided and would not have loved at all) in the story Jesus tells stops what he is doing to see that the man robbed is cared for. It cost the Samaritan money and time all because this robbery victim was found in his path.
If you have a busy day at school or work and you need to get your business before it is late, but someone comes to you and asks for help. Do you ignore them, yell at them, or stop what you are doing and help them? Before anyone gets confused what Jesus did not say is that you ask the government to help them on your behalf. At no point does Jesus anywhere in the Bible petition Rome to help those in need. Jesus always looked at the individual asking what the best rule is to follow when he said, “You go, and do likewise.”
Don’t Overlook the First Rule
Finally in any conversation on loving your neighbor do not forget this is the second-best rule for life. The most important rule is loving God. Many people want to skip right over the love God part and get straight to demanding we help our neighbor.
Love here in the Greek is agapao love. It means to welcome and be fond of. This is more than just the actions of giving money to the poor. Are you fond of people? Do you welcome them? This can’t be done at arm’s length. More than this Jesus said the greatest command is to love God (welcome, be fond of, care for deeply) with all your heart, soul, and mind.
The best way to love others is to first love God.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV
