Matthew 22:39-40
And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus doesn't just present loving your neighbor as a suggestion; by calling it "like it" (referring to the love of God), he elevates it to a command of equal weight and importance, demonstrating that genuine love for God naturally flows into love for others. This isn't just about being nice; it's about reflecting God's own heart in our relationships, seeing others as intrinsically valuable as we see ourselves.
Jesus has just silenced the Sadducees and a Pharisee, a teacher of the law, asks him to identify the greatest commandment. Jesus responds by quoting the Shema to emphasize loving God completely, and then immediately follows with the second commandment, love your neighbor as yourself, stating these two are the foundation of all the Law and the Prophets. This exchange highlights Jesus' focus on the core of God's will, moving beyond intricate legal debates to the heart of true righteousness.
Why is loving your neighbor described as 'like' loving God? It's not just a suggestion, but a reflection of the divine character itself.
The Mirror of God's Love
Jesus calls the command to love your neighbor "like it" – referring to the command to love God. This isn't accidental. It suggests a deep connection, almost a mirroring.
Why 'Like It'?
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This isn't just about basic kindness; it's about reflecting the very heart of God in our interactions.
Does 'love your neighbor as yourself' mean you should just not hurt people? Or is there something much deeper called for?
More Than Just Not Harming
The command to love your neighbor as yourself isn't a passive instruction to simply avoid doing harm. It calls for active, radical benevolence.
What Does This Look Like?
Understand the original words
plēsion · Greek Noun
Any other person, particularly those within the community of faith, but in Jesus' teaching, it extends to all people, including enemies. It signifies the object of one's duty of care and love.
kremamai · Greek Verb
To hang or be suspended from. Metaphorically, it means that the entire witness and moral requirements of the Hebrew Scriptures are rooted in and supported by these two core commands.
nebi'im · Hebrew Noun
The divinely inspired spokesmen for God in the Old Testament whose writings and ministries served to call Israel to repentance and point forward to the coming Messiah.
This passage is the direct source of Jesus' quote, establishing the foundational Old Testament commandment to love one's neighbor.
Luke 10:29The question 'Who is my neighbor?' directly follows the command to love your neighbor, highlighting the practical challenge and the need for Jesus' parable to define its scope.
Romans 13:9-10Paul explicitly states that the command to love your neighbor as yourself is a summary of the entire moral law, reinforcing its central importance in Christian life.
1 John 4:7-8This passage connects the practice of loving one another directly to the nature of God, emphasizing that love is an essential characteristic of those who know Him.
Galatians 5:14Paul echoes Jesus' teaching by stating that the entire law is fulfilled in one statement: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' underscoring that this principle is the guiding force for righteous living.
calvinMatthew 22:34-40: "But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together."
- But when the Pharisees heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they assembled together. 35. And one of them, a doctor of the law, put a question to him, tempting him, and saying, 36. Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37. Jesus saith to him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38. Th…
henryMatthew 22:34-40: "But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together."
22:34-40 An interpreter of the law asked our Lord a question, to try, not so much his knowledge, as his judgment. The love of God is the first and great commandment, and the sum of all the commands of the first table. Our love of God must be sincere, not in word and tongue only. All our love is too little to bestow upon him, therefore all the powers of the soul must be eng…
Jesus doesn't just present loving your neighbor as a suggestion; by calling it "like it" (referring to the love of God), he elevates it to a command of equal weight and importance, demonstrating that genuine love for God naturally flows into love for others. This isn't just about being nice; it's about reflecting God's own heart in our relationships, seeing others as intrinsically valuable as we see ourselves.
Jesus has just silenced the Sadducees and a Pharisee, a teacher of the law, asks him to identify the greatest commandment. Jesus responds by quoting the Shema to emphasize loving God completely, and then immediately follows with the second commandment, love your neighbor as yourself, stating these two are the foundation of all the Law and the Prophets. This exchange highlights Jesus' focus on the core of God's will, moving beyond intricate legal debates to the heart of true righteousness.
Jesus has just silenced the Sadducees and a Pharisee, a teacher of the law, asks him to identify the greatest commandment. Jesus responds by quoting the Shema to emphasize loving God completely, and then immediately follows with the second commandment, love your neighbor as yourself, stating these two are the foundation of all the Law and the Prophets. This exchange highlights Jesus' focus on the core of God's will, moving beyond intricate legal debates to the heart of true righteousness.
"And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”" — Jesus doesn't just present loving your neighbor as a suggestion; by calling it "like it" (referring to the love of God), he elevates it to a command of equal weight and importance, demonstrating that…
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