The statement, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,” is part of an answer Jesus gave to an Old Testament scribe (lawyer) who came to entrap the Savior (Matt. 22:34-40). Such “lawyers,” as the one who would “tempt” Jesus, were expounders of the Mosaic code and considered themselves above others. In fact, to such a “lawyer” there were over sixhundred precepts in the law of Moses and a considerable number could not even be observed. So, those rabbis would make distinctions between “heavy” and “light” commandments as though some were of lesser importance than others (Williams, Pulpit Commentary, 365). That “lawyer” wanted to find out if Jesus sanctioned the traditional teaching.
Jesus gave a plain answer to the scribe which could not be gainsayed. Every Jewish male repeated Deuteronomy 6:4 on a daily basis: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.” This “shema” or morning prayer indicated the chief duty of man to honor God, which obligation was superior to every other duty. The scribe had not asked about a second commandment, but Jesus would not propound an abstract proposition. Jesus showed the lawyer how loving God is done on a practical basis; one is to love one’s neighbor as oneself (Matt. 22:39)! This love (agape) is without self- interest. It carries the highest moral responsibility and, in fact, God is agape (1 John 4:8). The apostle John learned the truth concerning loving a neighbor and later was inspired to write: “And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also” (1 John 4:21). How does one measure one’s love for one’s fellow-man? To what degree is loving oneself considered and to what degree does one connect love for God with love for neighbor are the criteria for true spirituality. Such love involves one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). Jesus’ conclusion that loving God, neighbor, and self are the precepts of the entire Mosaic code remind one of a supposed incident in the life of a Jewish scribe named Hillel:
A heathen wished to be converted to the Jewish faith, but only on the understanding that he would be taught the whole of the Torah while standing on one leg. Hillel accepted him, and in response to the heathen’s request replied: That which is hateful unto thee do not do unto thy neighbor. This is the whole of Torah. The rest is commentary. Go and study” (Talmud, Shab. 31a).
Jesus expanded Hillel’s comment, however, not by insisting that what is “hateful” to one should not be done, but positively to love another as oneself. Are there ways to recognize such love?
-Keith A. Mosher, Sr.
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