Love of neighbour

what was Jesus echoing when he commanded for his followers to ‘love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’?

OT book of Deuteronomy (6:25): ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your might’

what was Jesus echoing the teachings of when he commanded for us to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’?

Leviticus 19:34 - ‘The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’

what does Leviticus 19:34 mean?

love the foreigners in your land as your fellow

what could the context of Leviticus 19:34 refer to?

may refer to soujourners - people passing through

when are these two commandments repeated?

in the introduction to one of Jesus’ best known parables, the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke)

when a lawyer asks Jesus, in Luke, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life’, how does Jesus respond?

‘What is written in the law’

how does the lawyer respond to Jesus? How does Jesus respond?

answers that the law commands people to love their neighbour as themselves and God. Jesus says ‘Do this and you will’

what did Jesus teach about what the 1st commandment was and what was only possible following it? (Luke 10:25-28)

loving God is the 1st greatest commandment - argues that loving one’s neighbour is only possible with a connection with God’s love

how did the lawyer respond and what did Jesus reply with?

‘And who is my neighbour?’, Jesus replied by saying the story of a man who was attacked and robbed on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. Two Jewish religious leaders pass him by without offering assistance, but a Samaritan (Jews considered them to be their enemies) stops and helps him

what did Jesus command the lawyer to do?

‘Go and do likewise.’

what did Jesus tell his followers in the Sermon on the Mount? (Matthew 5:43)

Jesus told his followers that they had heard the old saying, ‘love your neighbour and hate your enemy’ but, he went on ‘I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’

how do we love God with heart, soul and mind?

by recognising that everyone is a part of God’s creation - they deserve respect, and their needs and desires must be as highly regarded as one’s own. This is the Christian imperative