"Love your neighbor as yourself" is one of the most famous quotations from the Bible, and it was spoken by Christ himself. Matthew 22 relates the story of the Pharisees' asking Jesus about the most important commandment, and He answered, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."
In this verse, God has given us a clear path as to how we should live our earthly lives. It is one of unselfishness in which we put the needs of others on the same level with our own needs. If we truly love the Lord, we have a genuine concern for the plight of our neighbors. Who are our neighbors?
God is not just referring to the people who live next door to us as our "neighbors." He means all of humanity, especially those we see and are made aware of their conditions. The verse does not merely recommend that we have empathy; instead, it commands that we take action. After all, what is love without deeds?
Even devout Christians, however, often find it difficult to care about others as much as we care about our own well being. Being human, we are born into sin and are inherently selfish and often self absorbed. We find it easier to worry about our own life and to turn a blind eye to the suffering of others. When we genuinely love our neighbors, however, we help them. We pray for them. We offer comfort in times of need. We provide food in times of hunger. We clothe them when they are bare. We serve as a shining example of God's love and do his work on Earth.
What about our enemies? Our friends and family are easy to love. It is difficult, however, for many people, including Christians, to love their enemies. We are, by nature, often vengeful and recalcitrant in opening our hearts and minds to those who have wronged us, even though God has instructed us to do so. Christ told us to forgive our enemies and to put aside our anger and hate, and He lived what he preached. Even on the cross, He asked God to forgive his tormenters. If he could make this magnanimous request to God in the face of torture and physical death, surely we can forgive the relatively petty wrongdoings that have been done to us.
The love of God is unconditional. We are all God's children, and the first major step we must take in loving our neighbor is to realize this pertinent fact. Your enemy was uniquely created by God, just as you were. We are all brothers, sharing the same Heavenly Father. If God loves our enemies, why can't we? He is perfect, yet He loves the least among us - the thief, the drug addict, the prostitute, and yes, even the murderer.
Our own personal salvation and reward will be reflected in how we treat our neighbors. The Book of Luke says that if we forgive others, God will forgive us. If we do not condemn others, the Lord will not condemn us. If we show mercy, mercy will be shown. Whatever we give to our neighbors will be given to us by our Heavenly Father.
Should there be limits to the love we show our neighbor? In answer to this, recall another verse: "No greater love hath a man than to lay down his life for a friend." Christ embodies this idea. He willingly sacrificed himself for mankind, even for those who consider him an enemy. They, too, have the chance for salvation. They might not decide to open the door Christ has provided, but it is always there. God is always ready to accept them into his profound, all encompassing love. So should we, as Christians.
Human frailties will never permit us to be as forgiving or as loving as God. The world, however, should be a better place because a man has lived. We are God's disciples, his servants on Earth who must embody God's love by loving our neighbors and thereby earning our own rich rewards.
Christians should endeavor to emulate the life of Christ and to espouse his teachings. In John, He said, "As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another." We must allow our love of God to transcend our imperfect spirits and spread to our fellow man. Until we vanquish selfishness, anger, and hate and embrace love for our neighbor, our hearts will never be fully open to God's love.