No Greater Neighbor

God's people should be the greatest neighbor ever.

Exodus 20:12-17  “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.  13  “You must not murder.  14  “You must not commit adultery.  15  “You must not steal.  16  “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.  17  “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.” 

---

The Ten Commandments begin with the most important rules, the rules that teach us about to relate to God properly. There may be many "gods" in this world but there is no other God, he deserves our love and we need to slow down and spend time with him.

Our ultimate love and the greatest desire of our heart should be for God but it is such a great challenge because the world has so many other loves and so many other places to put our trust. We fall for the lie that we can use people and stuff to give us the security and fulfillment that can only be found in God. 

After the Ten Commandments teach us about our relationship with God it moves on to our relationship with the people around us. All of us are tempted constantly to look out for ourselves at any cost but the Bible clearly shows us that God wants his people to live a different way.

God expects us to be like him especially in the way that we love and care for other people. God is giving these rules to his people that he just rescued from slavery and saved them from the greatest military of the day. He has proved his love for them and he expects them to live the same.

Obeying these six commands about our relationship with the people around us will help us live at peace and it will show the world that there is a better way to live.

The Ten Commandments Simplified

Mark 12:29-31 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. 30 And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

Jesus taught us the spirit of the law when he answered the question about the greatest of all of the commandments. Love your Savior and your neighbor is all that it takes to fulfill all of the laws.

The parable of the good Samaritan is a great example of how we need to choose to be generous to everyone. Jesus taught us that we need to go out of our way and become inconvenienced to be kind to others. Jesus didn't give us a limited space to show his love to others, he broadened the definition of a neighbor to anybody you come into contact with.

The New Testament has so much to say about how we treat people:

Love One Another

• “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)
• “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)
• “These things I command you, so that you will love one another.” (John 15:17)
• “Love one another with brotherly affection.” (Romans 12:10)
• “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8)
• “And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you.” (1 Thessalonians 3:12)
• “Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more.” (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10)
• “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.” (1 Peter 1:22)
• “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)
• “For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” (1 John 3:11)
• “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.” (1 John 3:23)
• “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7)
• “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John 4:11-12)
• “And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.” (2 John 1:5)

Honor One Another

• “Outdo one another in showing honor.” (Romans 12:10b)

Greet One Another

• “Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.” (Romans 16:16)
• “All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.” (1 Corinthians 16:20)
• “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” (2 Corinthians 13:12)
• “Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.” (1 Peter 5:14)

Welcome One Another

• “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” (Romans 15:7)

Show Hospitality To One Another

• “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” (1 Peter 4:9)

Have Fellowship With One Another

• “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

Agree With One Another

• “…agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2 Corinthians 13:11b)

Live In Harmony With One Another

• “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.” (Romans 12:16)
• “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus.” (Romans 15:5)

Be At Peace With One Another

• “Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” (Mark 9:50)

Be Kind To One Another

• “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted…” (Ephesians 4:32a)

Forgive One Another

• “…forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32b)
• “…and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” (Colossians 3:13b)

Bear With One Another

• “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:2-3)
• “Bearing with one another…” (Colossians 3:13a)

Bear One Another’s Burdens

• “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)

Comfort One Another

• “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another…” (2 Corinthians 13:11)

Care For One Another

• “That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.” (1 Corinthians 12:25)

Confess Sins To One Another

• “Therefore, confess your sins to one another…” (James 5:16)

Pray For One Another

• “…and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16)

Encourage One Another

• “Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
• “Therefore encourage one another…” (1 Thessalonians 5:11a)
• “Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25)

Build One Another Up

• “…and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Exhort One Another

• “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Hebrews 3:13)

Instruct One Another

• “I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.” (Romans 15:14)

Teach And Admonish One Another

• “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16)

Sing With One Another

• “Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” (Ephesians 5:19)

Stir Up One Another To Love And Good Works

• “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” (Hebrews 10:24)

Do Good To One Another

• “See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” (1 Thessalonians 5:15)

Serve One Another

• “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13)
• “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10)

Wash One Another’s Feet

• “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.” (John 13:14)

Wait For One Another

• “So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.” (1 Corinthians 11:33)

Be Humble Toward One Another

• “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” (1 Peter 5:5)

Submit To One Another

• “Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21)

Speak The Truth To One Another

• “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” (Ephesians 4:25)
• “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.” (Colossians 3:9)

Do Not Speak Against One Another

• “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.” (James 4:11)
• “Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.” (James 5:9)

Do Not Judge One Another

• “Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.” (Romans 14:13)

Do Not Provoke One Another

• “Let us not become conceited, provoking one another…” (Galatians 5:26)

Do Not Envy One Another

• “…envying one another.” (Galatians 5:26)

If you think the Ten Commandments don't apply to you, that's fine, but look at how clearly the New Testament makes the case for behaving way above the world's standards. Too bad the world can't see our Jesus because we have failed to live like Jesus by living extremely loving lives. (John 13:35)

What a huge difference we could make in the world if Jesus followers actually followed. We fail to give up our pride and selfishness and take on grace, compassion, service and forgiveness even though Jesus makes it so clear.

Loving Your Neighbor Isn't Optional

The rich man had no concern for people in need.

Luke 16:19-23; 31 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury.

20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.

22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and his soul went to the place of the dead.

There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.

31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’”

---

Earlier in this chapter in Luke, we learned that Jesus wants us to use our money to benefit others, after being mocked, Jesus tells the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus to drive home the point.

The first character in the story is the rich man, this guy had it all, clothing, food, luxury, he even had a home that was nice enough to have a gate. He had the "American dream" type of lifestyle.

The second character in the story was a very poor man that had nothing but sores and hunger pains, he wasn't living the dream, he had to deal with sores all over his body and constant pains.

We don't know much about the rich guy, we just know that his main sins are neglect of the poor man and making an idol out of his wealth. He didn't realize that Jesus taught us that people matter more than money and that we should use money to win people to faith in Christ.

Jesus was very serious about loving our neighbor

Matthew 25:42-46  For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger and you didn’t take Me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe Me, sick and in prison and you didn’t take care of Me.’ 44 “Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help You?’ 45 “Then He will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either.’ 46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

The decision to believe that Jesus is God's Son and that he came to earth to pay for the consequences of your sin is your most important decision. The next decision is a natural followup to the first, loving your neighbor in the same manner that God loved you, the two are so closely related that it is almost impossible to separate them.

Is that even possible?

1 John 3:16-17 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?

Friend or foe my neighbor deserves my love and compassion because of the undeserved love that I received from God through his son. Not loving the people that God has placed around me is not an option.

Lord, help me to love the way that you loved me.

Love Your Neighbor

Too bad it's not mister Rogers.

 Matthew 22:39  A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

Romans 13:8-10  Owe nothing to anyone--except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God's law.

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 your neighbor as yourself."  10  Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God's law.

---

That is a pretty amazing command, think about what Jesus is saying, he taught us that everybody around us that has a need is somebody that we need to be neighbors with and then he tells us that loving those neighbors is almost as important a command as loving God.

That's enormous, we can all agree that loving God is really important but for me to care about my neighbor almost as much as God that is absurd from a human point of view. God, do you really remember how I was treated, did you see what happened the last time I went out on a limb to help somebody? Chances are that your neighbor isn't Fred Rogers.

To live by Jesus rule requires for me to speak and act out of great love for my neighbor, Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary says:

By this rule we are taught to bear with, love, and forgive him; to rejoice in his felicity, mourn in his adversity, desire and delight in his prosperity, and promote it to the utmost of our power: instruct his ignorance, help him in his weakness, and risk even our life for his sake, and for the public good. In a word, we must do every thing in our power, through all the possible varieties of circumstances, for our neighbors, which we would wish them to do for us, were our situations reversed.

This is so opposite of our human reasoning that I will have to work on applying it until the Lord takes me home.

Lord, it seems almost impossible to live out this rule, it is too easy to give my neighbor what he deserves rather than showing him grace and mercy. Help me to show grace and mercy just as abundantly as you showed it to me.

You might like to read: Commands of Jesus blog series.

Related articles

• Love on Display (getmorestrength.org)