Honor your father and your mother, and, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.  (Matthew 19:19)

 

Do you want eternal life?  Jesus commands that you love your neighbor as yourself.  The words "love, loved, loves, loving," are listed in the Bible a combined total of 305 times.  Accordingly we cannot deny the importance of love for a Christian.  Who are we to love?  Answer: Our neighbor.  Who is our neighbor? Answer:  Anybody and everybody.  In Luke 10:29 the parable of the good Samaritan infers that anybody who has a need is a neighbor.  Since everybody has a need, we are to love everybody. 

 

How are we to love our neighbor? Answer:  As yourself.  Real love shadows over anger.  We seldom get angry with ourselves.  Most of us would do no harm to ourselves.  Accordingly our love for others should keep us from harming others.  Even if someone has treated us badly, the command is still to love them.  That is difficult to do.  But Jesus is explaining how we are to secure eternal life.

 

What constitutes "loving our neighbor?"  First of all our love must be an affirmative act.  It is not good enough just to say, "well, I don't hate them."  We are to love by demonstrating that we want the best for them.  Remember, we are not loving them to please them, but to please God!

 

What a wonderful world this would be if everyone would practice love in their daily lives.  Love your spouse; love your children; love your parents; love your church members; love God....  and don't forget, love your neighbor as yourself!