Love Others

He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important commandment. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.

Matt 22:37-39 (HCSB)

After Jesus gave the greatest commandment to Love God. He issues the 2nd greatest commandment. What is number two? I would say it is pretty important so perhaps we should listen up about what Jesus is saying. Few of us would ever say I'm not really into Loving God. After all that is the first commandment according to Jesus. But we make all kinds of excuses when it comes to number two. I'm shy. I don't get along with people. He is annoying; and on and on it goes. There really shouldn't be any excuse for number two.

So what does Jesus say, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Well yes, I have highlighted some words. What are they.

Neighbor. This describes the "who". Jesus says your neighbor, and that's not just the guy next door. In other places in Scripture Jesus basically points out that everyone is your neighbor. So the object of our love is every other Human being.

Yourself. Jesus says our love for others is to be like our love for ourselves. Sometimes we may struggle with loving ourselves but most of us have a basic desire to care for, bring pleasure and not pain too and protect ourselves. That is how Jesus describes here our love for others. We care for their physical, emotional and spiritual needs. We should want to bring them joy not pain or grief. We should protect them from pain, danger and things that can harm. Love others like you love yourself. That is the 2nd greatest command.