The Hebrew word for neighbor means companion or friend. It focuses His people on our identity as sons of Adam. By caring for and about our neighbor(s) we are carried into God’s world. This is a central thread in the Word of God, so it is key to our spiritual success.
When Jesus quotes the Law of Moses to the man who wanted to know the greatest commandment: “One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all our heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:35-40)
This is interesting when set beside Mark 10:17-19: “As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and your mother. And he said to Him, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.” Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.”
Why was the neighbor part so difficult?
When it cost him something!
The apostles carried out this message from Moses and Jesus, and the neighbor thread continues through their writings. Here is the essence of it: “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:20)
It is good for us to set our sights over and over again on these two great commandments. We love God based upon truth. His truth. We love our neighbor based upon His Word. This is the story of opportunity for all humanity, and the grace and truth by which we will find reward in His Kingdom!
Micah 6 tells us plainly: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Dave and Burnadette
Selah. In this we find hard hope.
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