CAN I LOVE MY NEIGHBOR AS I LOVE MYSELF?
Author: Sakkie Parsons
Translated from the Afrikaans Version: Kan ek my medemens net so lief hê soos myself?
Translator: Lynda Botha
I would like to share with you how God resolved this particular problem I had:
Luke 10 from verse 25:
The Samaritan who loved his fellow man25 “One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking Him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 "Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”
27 “The man answered, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. And, Love your neighbour as yourself.”
28 "Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”
29 “The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?”
30 “Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes beat him up and left him half dead beside the road.”
31 "By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by.”
32 “A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.”
33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him.”
34 “Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him.”
35 “The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, “Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.”
36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbour to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.”
37 “The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” “Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
How can I really love my neighbour the way I love myself?
I thought about it a lot:
The woman who brings our tea at work, the men who trim the flowers for the office, and the man or woman working next to me in the office, who I only see now and then, how can I love them like I love myself?
God says that we must love our neighbours. It is an order. In other words, as a child of God, I am not given a choice.
Luke 10 verse 27:
27 “The man answered, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. And, Love your neighbour as yourself.”
It was something I could not understand, and God who saw me struggling with this issue, directed me to this scripture in the Bible. Then, when I looked at this scripture, it became very clear to me. My hope is, that if you or someone you know struggle with this problem as well, that this e-mail will provide you with insight, as to how it is possible to love my neighbour just as much as I love myself.
Something I realized quickly after my repentance, is that Jesus did not just say something, for the sake of saying something. If Jesus said something in a certain way, there is a very good reason why He said so, and if He used a certain word, there is a very good reason why he used that particular word.
Why did Jesus use a Samaritan to play the leading role in the story?
The Samaritans was terribly hated by the Jews. So much so, that a respectable Jew would not even mention the for Jews filthy word, Samaritan. So therefore, even after Jesus convinced the man of who the victim's neighbour was, the man still could not get himself to say the word Samaritan.
Luke 10 verse 36 and 37:
36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbour to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.”
37 “The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” “Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
Something else the Lord has brought to my attention:
All the time the Samaritan nursed the Jew, he was laying on the ground, and looking up at the man who nursed him, who under normal circumstances would not even look at the Samaritan. No, he would normally just look the other way. When I sat and meditated over this scripture, the following three words came to mind:
Thoughtfulness, compassion and consideration.
I believe, if we apply these three concepts in our lives towards our neighbours and we truly make an effort to show that we really do want to change, that we will bring joy to our Lord’s heart.
Romans 13 from verse 9:
9 “For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These – and other such commandments – are summed up in this one commandment: “Love you neighbour as yourself.”
10 “Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfils the requirements of God’s law.”
Enjoy this wonderful day.
Greetings,
Sakkie