Thursday, June 11, 2015

Love Neighbor As Yourself

Jesus tells us the second greatest command is to "Love your neighbor as yourself."

If someone were to ask you "Do you love your neighbor?" Would you be able to say "Yes."

How would you even know? How about if we were to ask your neighbor? What would they say?

The thing is Jesus is not just talking about the people who live around you. He is talking about anyone you may come in contact with during the day. As I sit in Starbucks right now I am surrounded by neighbors. Some of them have values different from mine, some of them come from different countries and some I  may even be uncomfortable around, but that does not mean I can't listen to what Jesus' says.

I am to love people no matter who they are, no matter where they live and no matter where they come from.

This is not a suggestion from Jesus, it is a command. This is the second greatest command behind loving God. I can not escape it.

The thing is it can be hard sometimes because there are some people I just don't like to be around. Jesus says that is not an excuse. He wants us to be different than what is considered normal. Jesus put it this way in the Sermon on the Mount, "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even sinners doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Are not even pagans doing that?" (Matthew 5:46-47)

When Jesus says we need to "Love our neighbor as yourself" he is telling us this includes the unlovable--those who are different from us and those who may even be our enemies.

So let's ask ourselves this question again, "Do you love your neighbor?" How would those around you answer that about you?

Now go love your neighbor! Whoever that may be today!

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