Published: 25/05/20200
God is Love: The Unity of His Commandments
As discussed in my previous articles, Jesus' first commandment and God's first three commandments, presented through Moses, share identical principles. My previous articles explain the exact similarities between Jesus' two commandments, as recorded in Scripture:
“And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39, NIV)
Loving Neighbours: A Broader Meaning
Loving our neighbours wholeheartedly is synonymous with loving God. If we fail to love our neighbours, we fail to love God. Therefore, it's essential to recognize who our neighbours are to love them as we love ourselves.
We often consider only those living next to us as our neighbours. However, we forget that our spouses are our closest neighbours. The bride is the closest neighbour of the bridegroom, and vice versa. Around a married couple are God's children, making them neighbours to their parents and siblings.
In essence, our blood relatives – parents, siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and so on – are our first neighbours. Then, people in our community, workplace, city, district, state, country, and the entire world are our neighbours, as God creates every individual in His image and likeness.
We must love our neighbours, created by God's hand, who are available in our relation, locality, city, district, state, country, or anywhere in the world, as we love ourselves to substantiate our love for God.
Since the entire humanity is God's children, any partiality in loving them will not be acceptable to God. If we can't love our visible and tangible neighbours, how can we love the invisible and intangible God?
On the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35, NIV), didn't Jesus appear and walk alongside the disciples as a third passerby? In our lives, the invisible God makes His presence known through our parents, siblings, relatives, and all known and unknown people. However, we fail to recognize Him due to our selfishness and downcast faces.
How to See God's Image in Our Neighbours:
Everyone in our neighbourhood is in the image and likeness of God; God's image is reflected in them. Do we wish to see God's image in our neighbours? If yes, then we must love them, as recorded in Scripture:
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (John 13:34, NIV)
Loving Neighbour: Sole Factor on Judgment Day
It is necessary for us to love those who were loved by God before they were conceived in their mother's womb (Jeremiah 1:5, NIV), as we love ourselves. Similarly, (Psalm 139:13-16, NIV) reminds us, God's knowledge and love of us begin even before our formation in the womb. Such a love for our neighbours will be a measure of our love to God; this will be the standard by which God assesses us on the judgment day. Moreover, this is why God commands us to love our enemies, for they are our neighbours.
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:27-38, NIV)
Our love, loyalty, reverence, and devotion to God are measured by how we treat our neighbours, as stated in scripture:
Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided. (Proverbs 16:6, NIV)
To be Continued…..
==> Stay tuned for our next article, where we'll uncover how 'Immense Love: A Secret to Attain Wisdom and the Holy Spirit’ that transforms our faith journey.
Amen!
Praise be to God, Thanks be to God.
Not being Unrighteous is Religion!!
India! Peace be upon you!!
Peace to the whole world!!