Matthew, a biblical disciple, recorded these words of the Lord: “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.” He continued by writing that the second command is like the first: “love your neighbor as yourself.”
The second command was perhaps the most difficult of all the commandments God gave to the people of Israel. In response to this commandment, a lawyer posed the question: “Who is my neighbor?” A parable was given to him, revealing that anyone could be classified as his neighbor. Our neighbor can be anyone—an acquaintance, a stranger, or even someone from a different country or culture.
If the true nature and behavior of love can be commanded, then it can’t be only emotional, or a matter of feelings. Genuine love is much more than feelings. It is a matter of the will of the person to care for others with kindness and thoughtfulness even when it is not convenient. True love is an expressed love shown toward another person.
It is a commandment followed by a commitment. Although feelings are important, true love functions regardless of how you feel. Commandment followed by a commitment is a principle that implies that before you can truly love and care for others, you must first cultivate a healthy sense of self-love and self-respect for yourself.
To love your neighbor as yourself as God requires, means treating others with the same kindness, compassion, and respect that you would want for yourself. It is essentially the Golden Rule which encourages all of us to act in a way that reflects the values you wish for yourself.
Recognizing that everyone is a unique individual with their own rights and dignity, is a key part of loving your neighbor. When we love in this fashion, we seek to promote the well-being of all within our sphere, rather than just our own interests. This is vitally import in cultivating the principle of loving one’s neighbor.
Finally, commandment followed by a commitment is a clarion call for all of us to live with empathy, compassion, and respect, extending these qualities to everyone around us. Loving our neighbor is the most basic principle necessary to sustain life in our society. It is a reciprocal assurance that decency and kindness will be faithfully returned if given. Be blessed and Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!
Dr. Walter Ghosten
