One Without The Other...

“Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40.

This two part answer was given by Jesus when a young man asked Him which one commandment was the greatest. Jesus showed the dependence of one on the other. His message was clear in His reply: ‘You cannot truly love God without loving others.’ They are interdependent and one will affect the other. To love God is to choose to love His people – apart from their actions. The commandment does not state ‘Love others based on how they treat you.’

‘The Great Commandment is one of the fullest expressions of what it means to truly walk in the presence of God.’ Duty or Delight? p, 118. Love always works to the benefit of another. ‘The Greek definition clearly states that loving not only indicates “a direction of the will” but also consists of “finding one’s joy in something or someone.” p. 120. Perhaps the joy we feel is the holy nod of God telling us that we have done a good job loving that person, especially when that person is difficult to love.

Our model is Jesus Christ who chose to love and honor God by loving those who wronged Him. He did not withhold love but interceded for them in prayer as a way of showing love to God. He constantly surrounded Himself with people who did not love Him. With all of this being said it is important to state that some relationships require healthy boundaries which may involve our stepping back and loving at a distance. We may still be called upon to serve them, help them and be involved periodically with them but to maintain our health in the relationship we love from a distance. If there is someone like this in your life, take the relationship to God and allow Him to determine your involvement with this person. Also, in extreme cases of abuse, we must remove ourselves from this unhealthy and addictive behavior.

For the most part, the majority of neighbors (anyone attached to you in life, ie, work, family, children, spouse) are not abusive and must be treated by us with the same love that we receive from God.

‘The love of God is most perfected in us when it is reproduced through us and among us…’ Duty or Delight? p. 118.