What does the Bible say about loving your neighbor?
Luke 10:25-37
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.
31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.
32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.
34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.
35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
New International Version (NIV)
The answer
Loving your neighbor is one of the two great commandments on which all of God's law hangs, and Scripture defines it not as a warm feeling but as active, costly mercy toward anyone in need — even an enemy.
The command itself
It comes first from the law God gave Israel: "You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh" (Leviticus 19:18). Notice what love rules out there: revenge and grudges. Love is the opposite of nursing a wrong.
When a lawyer asked Jesus which commandment is greatest, Jesus put love of God first and love of neighbor immediately after it: "A second likewise is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:39-40). Paul says the same: the commands against adultery, murder, stealing and coveting "are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love doesn't harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law" (Romans 13:9-10; see also Galatians 5:14).
Who is my neighbor?
That is exactly the question a lawyer put to Jesus, "desiring to justify himself" (Luke 10:29). Jesus answered with the parable of the Good Samaritan. A man was robbed, beaten and left half dead; a priest and a Levite both saw him and "passed by on the other side," but a Samaritan — a stranger and an outsider to Israel — "was moved with compassion," bound up his wounds, carried him to an inn and paid for his care (Luke 10:30-35). Jesus then turned the question around: not "who counts as my neighbor?" but "which of these three... seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?" The answer: "He who showed mercy on him." Jesus' verdict: "Go and do likewise" (Luke 10:36-37).
So a neighbor is whoever is in front of you in need, and loving them means showing mercy in practice, at your own cost, across lines of tribe and hostility.
It includes enemies
Jesus pushed the command further than anyone expected: "But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). His reason is the character of the Father, who "makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust" (Matthew 5:45). Loving only those who love you back earns nothing: "Don't even the tax collectors do the same?" (Matthew 5:46).
It must be practical, not just words
"My little children, let's not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth" (1 John 3:18). John makes it concrete: "But whoever has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, then closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God's love remain in him?" (1 John 3:17). The Samaritan is the picture of this — compassion that opens the hand and the purse.
Where this love comes from
Scripture never leaves the command hanging on human willpower. "We love him, because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19). God's love is seen in the cross: "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 John 4:10). Because Christ laid down His life for us, "we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers" (1 John 3:16).
And the command is a test of the heart's profession: "If a man says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar" (1 John 4:20). No one keeps this law perfectly; that failure is itself a reason to come to Christ, who loved His enemies and died for them, and to receive from Him both forgiveness and the Spirit who produces this love (1 John 4:13).
Answered from Scripture · reviewed November 11, 2026
Scripture presents the command to love your neighbor not as an optional virtue, but as the second great commandment of the entire Law and the visible mark of a regenerated life. Rooted in the holy character of Yahweh, this duty was lived out concretely in ancient Israel, redefined around costly mercy by Jesus, and fulfilled in the self-giving love of the cross.
The Old Covenant Foundation
Love Rooted in the Character of God
“ ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:18 (NIV)
This verse establishes neighbor-love as a direct reflection of God's covenant identity, anchored in the solemn declaration 'I am Yahweh.'
The command to love your neighbor is anchored in the very holiness of God. In Leviticus 19:18, God commands His covenant people: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am Yahweh." The concluding signature reveals that love is not a vague social impulse, but a direct reflection of God's holy character. This holy love was never an abstraction in ancient Israel; it governed concrete, everyday actions. Leviticus 19:34 explicitly shatters ethnic isolationism by demanding the exact same standard of self-giving love for the resident alien, reminding Israel that they were once vulnerable strangers in the land of Egypt.
The wisdom literature and prophetic books make plain that authentic piety must produce tangible protection for the needy. Job 6:14 laments that withholding steadfast kindness from a despairing friend is akin to abandoning the fear of the Almighty. In daily business, Proverbs 3:27-28 warns against delaying assistance or withholding good when it is within one's power to act immediately. That active protection even reached across hostility: Exodus 23:4-5 commands an Israelite to return a straying animal belonging to an enemy and to assist when that enemy's donkey collapses under its load. Proverbs 25:21-22 demands that when an adversary hungers or thirsts, one must supply bread and water, turning enmity into an occasion for divine grace.
When Israel reduced worship to hollow ritual, the prophets demanded neighbor-love as the true fruit of faith. Isaiah 58:6-7 defines God's chosen fast not as outward austerity, but as loosing the bonds of injustice, sharing bread with the hungry, and bringing the afflicted into one's home. Zechariah 7:9-10 insists that true justice entails showing mercy and steadfast love to widows, orphans, sojourners, and the poor. Ultimately, Micah 6:8 summarizes the entire requirement of the covenant: to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Leviticus 19:18 | Forbids taking vengeance or bearing a grudge and commands loving one's neighbor as oneself, grounded in the identity of Yahweh. |
| Leviticus 19:34 | Extends the command of neighbor-love to the resident foreigner, recalling that Israel was once a stranger in Egypt. |
| Job 6:14 | Declares that kindness is due to a despairing friend, lest he forsake the fear of the Almighty. |
| Proverbs 3:27-28 | Instructs not to withhold good or delay helping a neighbor when the power to do so is at hand. |
| Isaiah 58:6-7 | Defines true fasting as loosing bonds of wickedness, sharing bread with the hungry, and housing the homeless poor. |
| Zechariah 7:9-10 | Commands the practice of true justice, mercy, and compassion toward widows, orphans, aliens, and the poor. |
| Exodus 23:4-5 | Commanding active help to an enemy or neighbour by returning stray animals and easing burdened donkeys. |
| Proverbs 25:21-22 | Giving food and water to one's enemy to heap burning coals on their head. |
| Micah 6:8 | Summarizing God's requirement as acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God. |
The Great Commandments
The Summary of the Entire Law
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)
Jesus explicitly joins Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, declaring that all Scripture hangs upon loving God and loving neighbor.
When asked to identify the supreme principle of the Scriptures, Jesus brought the entire revelation of the Old Testament into sharp, brilliant focus. In Matthew 22:37-40, He joins Deuteronomy 6:5 with Leviticus 19:18, proclaiming that "on these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." Neighbor-love is neither an optional accessory to faith nor a lesser duty; it is the inseparable twin of wholehearted devotion to Yahweh. Vertical worship without horizontal love is hollow ritualism, while horizontal benevolence detached from God's holiness possesses no moral foundation.
The Gospel accounts uniformly record this central truth. In Mark 12:28-34, a scribe recognizes that loving God with all one's heart and loving one's neighbor as oneself is far greater than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices—a spiritual discernment that Jesus commends. When the rich young ruler seeks eternal life in Matthew 19:16-19, Jesus recites the commands of the second table of the Decalogue and gathers them together under the singular roof of Leviticus 19:18. Similarly, in Luke 10:25-28, a lawyer rightly answers his own query regarding eternal inheritance by citing these twin commands, receiving Christ's decisive endorsement: "Do this, and you will live."
In Matthew 7:12, Jesus provides the practical compass for this principle in the Golden Rule: whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them. By doing so, Christ reveals that the Law and the Prophets are not an oppressive burden of legalism, but a coherent design for reflecting God's holy character through intentional, active regard for the flourishing of another.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Matthew 22:37-40 | Identifies loving God wholly as the first commandment and loving one's neighbor as oneself as the second, upholding all Scripture. |
| Mark 12:28-34 | Affirms that loving God and neighbor is greater than all whole burnt offerings and sacrificial rituals. |
| Matthew 19:16-19 | Lists the second table of the Decalogue and sums it up with loving one's neighbor as oneself. |
| Luke 10:25-28 | Records a lawyer summarizing eternal life through loving God and neighbor, which Jesus ratifies with 'do this and live.' |
| Matthew 7:12 | The Golden Rule summarizing the Law and the Prophets by treating others as you desire. |
The Good Samaritan
Neighborliness Defined by Costly Mercy
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Luke 10:36-37 (NIV)
Jesus turns the lawyer's boundary question inside out, demonstrating that being a neighbor means showing tangible, self-sacrificing compassion.
Seeking to protect his self-righteousness, an expert in the law asked, "And who is my neighbor?" In response, Jesus dismantled all religious evasion through the Parable of the Good Samaritan. At the conclusion of the story, in Luke 10:36-37, the Lord flips the inquiry entirely: "Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" The lawyer's original question in Luke 10:29 sought to draw boundaries around who deserved his care, limiting obligation. Jesus shifts the focus from identifying who qualifies for mercy to becoming a person who freely extends mercy to anyone in need.
The parable exposes the tragedy of empty religiosity. In Luke 10:30-32, a traveler lies stripped, beaten, and half dead on the dangerous descent from Jerusalem to Jericho. Both a priest and a Levite—men tasked with sacred stewardship—see the dying man and deliberately cross to the far side of the road, choosing ritual purity and self-preservation over covenant mercy.
Then, in Luke 10:33-35, an outsider appears: a Samaritan, despised by Jewish orthodoxy, who is moved with deep compassion. His mercy is costly, concrete, and comprehensive. He approaches the wounded man, binds his injuries with oil and wine, sets him on his own beast, takes him to an inn, and finances his full recovery with two denarii while promising to repay any further expense. In commanding the lawyer to "go and do likewise," Jesus reveals that true neighbor-love transcends ethnic barriers, social hostility, and personal convenience, finding its pattern in the sacrificial mercy of God.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Luke 10:29 | Notes the lawyer's desire to justify himself by seeking a narrow definition of who qualifies as a neighbor. |
| Luke 10:30-32 | Depicts a beaten traveler passed by on the other side by both a priest and a Levite. |
| Luke 10:33-35 | Describes a Samaritan moved with compassion, binding wounds, providing transport, and funding inn care at personal expense. |
| Luke 10:36-37 | Commands the hearer to 'go and do likewise' after identifying the neighbor as the one who showed mercy. |
The Law Fulfilled
Love as the Goal of the Commandments
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Romans 13:8-10 (NIV)
Paul explains that love harms no one, meaning the specific moral prohibitions of the Law are comprehensively fulfilled in love.
The New Testament epistles make clear that the gospel of grace does not discard the moral law, but writes it upon the renewed human heart through the Holy Spirit. In Romans 13:8-10, the Apostle Paul declares that "love is the fulfilling of the law," explaining that the ongoing obligation to love one's neighbor completes the underlying intent of every commandment. Prohibitions against adultery, murder, theft, and coveting are not arbitrary rules; they describe the precise harm that love refuses to inflict upon an image-bearer of God.
This principle runs through every apostolic exhortation. In Galatians 5:13-14, Paul warns that Christian liberty must never become an opportunity for the flesh; rather, through love, believers are to serve one another, because the entire Law is fulfilled in this one statement: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." James 2:8 bestows royal dignity upon this standard, calling it the "royal law" that condemns all partiality and favoritism. Likewise, Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1:5 that the ultimate goal of all biblical instruction is love issuing from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith.
Practical life in the Christian community requires this love to be concrete and enduring. Romans 15:1-2 commands the strong to bear the infirmities of the weak and to please their neighbors for their edification. In 1 Corinthians 10:24, believers are charged to seek not their own advantage, but the good of others. Furthermore, Galatians 6:2 reveals that bearing one another's burdens fulfills the law of Christ, while Galatians 6:10 urges the church to do good to everyone as opportunity allows, especially to the household of faith.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Romans 13:8-10 | States that the ongoing debt to love fulfills the Law, because love does no harm to a neighbor. |
| Galatians 5:13-14 | Exhorts believers to serve one another through love, as the entire Law is fulfilled in this one word. |
| James 2:8 | Calls the command to love your neighbor as yourself the 'royal law' found in Scripture. |
| 1 Timothy 1:5 | Declares that the goal of pastoral instruction is love from a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith. |
| Romans 15:1-2 | Instructing the strong to bear with the weak and please neighbours for their edification. |
| 1 Corinthians 10:24 | Exhorting believers to seek the good of their neighbour rather than their own advantage. |
| Galatians 6:2 | Bearing one another's burdens as the concrete fulfilment of the law of Christ. |
| Galatians 6:10 | Doing good to everyone as opportunity arises, especially to the household of faith. |
The Christlike Standard
Loving as Christ Has Loved Us
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34-35 (NIV)
Jesus elevates the standard of neighbor-love to match His own cross-shaped sacrifice, making it the badge of true discipleship.
In John 13:34-35, Jesus elevates the Old Testament command into something breathtakingly new: His followers must now love one another not merely as they love themselves, but as Christ has loved them. This self-giving affection is the unmistakable badge of true discipleship. Jesus underscores this cost in John 15:12-13, declaring that no one has greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. The standard is no longer reciprocal human affection, but the willing, sacrificial surrender modeled by the Master.
The apostolic writers ground Christian community squarely on this pattern. Paul exhorts the church in Ephesians 5:1-2 to walk in love just as Christ loved us, presenting Himself as a fragrant offering to God. Such love cannot remain an abstract sentiment. In 1 John 3:16-18, the apostle John insists that knowing Christ's sacrifice compels believers to lay down their lives for one another, warning that withholding tangible help from a brother in need denies the love of God. Genuine love proves itself in deed and in truth.
This cross-shaped reality reshapes every interpersonal relationship. According to 1 John 4:7-11, love originates in God, who demonstrated it supremely by sending His Son as a propitiation for our sins. Consequently, as 1 John 4:19-21 explains, any claim to love God while despising a brother is a living contradiction; our love is the direct fruit of His prior love. Paul catalogs the active posture of this devotion in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, detailing a love that is patient, kind, free from envy, and unfailingly resilient. Above all, 1 Peter 4:8 urges believers to keep fervent love for one another, because such selfless devotion covers a multitude of sins.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| John 13:34-35 | Issues a new commandment to love one another just as Christ loved, identifying it as the mark of discipleship. |
| John 15:12-13 | Defines greatest love as laying down one's life for one's friends in imitation of Christ's command. |
| Ephesians 5:1-2 | Urges believers to walk in love just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up as an offering to God. |
| 1 John 3:16-18 | Calls believers to lay down lives for brothers, warning against shutting off compassion when seeing material need. |
| 1 John 4:19-21 | Explains that we love because God first loved us, and that claiming to love God while hating a brother is falsehood. |
| 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 | Defining the patient, kind, unselfish, and enduring nature of biblical love. |
| 1 Peter 4:8 | Urging fervent love above all, because love covers a multitude of sins. |
| 1 John 4:7-11 | Loving one another because love is from God and God gave His Son as propitiation. |
Radical Mercy and Judgment
Loving Enemies and Facing the King
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:43-48 (NIV)
Jesus shatters human limits on neighbor-love by commanding prayer and love for persecutors to reflect the Father's perfection.
In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus dismantles every human boundary on love by commanding His disciples to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them. Worldly wisdom readily loves those who reciprocate, but Kingdom righteousness mirrors the Heavenly Father, who sends sunshine and rain upon the righteous and unrighteous alike. Disciples are called to reflect this supernatural character, displaying the mature, undivided perfection of the God whose children they are.
Luke captures the daily, countercultural breadth of this ethic. In Luke 6:27-36, Christ instructs His listeners to bless those who curse them, offer the other cheek, and lend without expecting repayment. By refusing vengeance and extending unexpected grace, believers prove themselves sons of the Most High, displaying genuine mercy just as the Father is merciful. Paul applies this directly to civil and communal conflict in Romans 12:19-21, commanding Christians never to avenge themselves. Instead, if an enemy is hungry, we must feed him; if thirsty, we must give him drink, conquering evil with persistent good.
This radical neighbor-love is not an optional ornament; it carries eternal gravity before the throne of God. In Matthew 25:34-40, the King welcomes the righteous into the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world. Their faith bore unmistakable fruit: they fed the hungry, clothed the naked, welcomed the stranger, and visited the prisoner. Christ reveals that whatever was done for the least of these brothers was done directly unto Him. Refusing mercy is an indictment, but active, sacrificial love to the neglected reflects the heart of the King Himself.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Matthew 5:43-48 | Commands loving enemies and praying for persecutors, showing sons of the Father who sends rain on just and unjust. |
| Luke 6:27-36 | Exhorts doing good, lending without expecting return, and showing mercy as the Heavenly Father is merciful. |
| Romans 12:19-21 | Forbids vengeance, instructing believers to feed hungry enemies and overcome evil with good. |
| Matthew 25:34-40 | Depicts the King welcoming the righteous who fed, clothed, and visited Him in the person of the least of these. |
Where in the Bible
| Book | Passages |
|---|---|
| Exodus | 1 · Exodus 23:4-5 |
| Leviticus | 2 · Leviticus 19:18, Leviticus 19:34 |
| Job | 1 · Job 6:14 |
| Proverbs | 2 · Proverbs 3:27-28, Proverbs 25:21-22 |
| Isaiah | 1 · Isaiah 58:6-7 |
| Micah | 1 · Micah 6:8 |
| Zechariah | 1 · Zechariah 7:9-10 |
| Matthew | 5 · Matthew 22:37-40, Matthew 19:16-19, Matthew 7:12, Matthew 5:43-48, Matthew 25:34-40 |
| Mark | 1 · Mark 12:28-34 |
| Luke | 6 · Luke 10:25-28, Luke 10:29, Luke 10:30-32, Luke 10:33-35, Luke 10:36-37, Luke 6:27-36 |
| John | 2 · John 13:34-35, John 15:12-13 |
| Romans | 3 · Romans 13:8-10, Romans 15:1-2, Romans 12:19-21 |
| 1 Corinthians | 2 · 1 Corinthians 10:24, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 |
| Galatians | 3 · Galatians 5:13-14, Galatians 6:2, Galatians 6:10 |
| Ephesians | 1 · Ephesians 5:1-2 |
| 1 Timothy | 1 · 1 Timothy 1:5 |
| James | 1 · James 2:8 |
| 1 Peter | 1 · 1 Peter 4:8 |
| 1 John | 3 · 1 John 3:16-18, 1 John 4:19-21, 1 John 4:7-11 |
The story in order
- God's Law given to Israel (c. 1450 BC) · Exodus 23:4-5 · Commands active help to an enemy or neighbour.
- Wisdom literature on kindness (c. 1100 BC) · Job 6:14 · Kindness is due to a despairing friend.
- Proverbs on helping neighbors (c. 700 BC) · Proverbs 3:27-28 · Do not withhold good or delay helping.
- Prophets define true righteousness (c. 700 BC) · Micah 6:8 · Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly.
- Prophets define true fasting (c. 700 BC) · Isaiah 58:6-7 · True fasting includes helping the needy.
- Jesus identifies the Great Commandments (c. AD 30) · Matthew 22:37-40 · Love God and neighbor summarizes the Law.
- Jesus teaches the Golden Rule (c. AD 30) · Matthew 7:12 · Treat others as you desire to be treated.
- The Parable of the Good Samaritan (c. AD 30) · Luke 10:30-37 · Neighborliness defined by costly mercy.
- Jesus commands loving enemies (c. AD 30) · Matthew 5:43-48 · Be merciful as your Father is merciful.
- Paul on love fulfilling the Law (c. AD 55) · Romans 13:8-10 · Love does no harm and fulfills the Law.
- Paul on serving one another (c. AD 55) · Galatians 5:13-14 · Fulfill the Law by serving in love.
- James on the Royal Law (c. AD 60) · James 2:8 · Love your neighbor as yourself is the royal law.
- John on loving as Christ loved (c. AD 90) · John 13:34-35 · Love one another as the mark of discipleship.
- John on loving from God (c. AD 90) · 1 John 4:7-11 · We love because God first loved us.
The Law Summarized
| The Law | Summary | Passage |
|---|---|---|
| Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. | The First Great Commandment | Matthew 22:37-40 |
| Love your neighbor as yourself. | The Second Great Commandment | Matthew 22:37-40 |
| Do not commit adultery, murder, steal, covet. | The Second Table of the Decalogue | Matthew 19:16-19 |
| Love your neighbor as yourself. | Summation of the Second Table | Matthew 19:16-19 |
| Treat others as you desire. | The Golden Rule | Matthew 7:12 |
| Love does no harm to a neighbor. | Fulfillment of the Law | Romans 13:8-10 |
| The entire Law is fulfilled in this one word: Love. | Summary of the Law | Galatians 5:13-14 |
Key words
- Neighbor (רֵעַ (re'a))
- Anyone in need, including foreigners and enemies. · Leviticus 19:18
- Love (אַהֲבָה (ahavah))
- Active, costly mercy and service, rooted in God's character. · Leviticus 19:18
- Mercy (חֶסֶד (ḥesed))
- Compassion shown to the suffering, especially the vulnerable. · Micah 6:8
- Golden Rule (ὡς θέλετε ἵνα ποιοῦσιν ὑμῖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι (hōs thelete hina…)
- Treat others as you would like to be treated. · Matthew 7:12
- Royal Law (νόμον βασιλικὸν (nomon basilikon))
- The supreme law of loving your neighbor as yourself. · James 2:8
- Discipleship (ἀγάπη (agape))
- Following Christ, marked by loving one another as He loved. · John 13:34-35
To love our neighbor is to reflect the steadfast mercy of the God who first sought and saved us when we were helpless. As we look upon the needs around us, we walk in Christian freedom and obedience by pouring out our lives in costly, tangible grace.
38 passages, each cited once.
Scripture cited
- Luke 10:25-37
- Leviticus 19:18
- Matthew 22:34-40
- Romans 13:8-10
- 1 John 4:7-21
- Matthew 5:43-48
- 1 John 3:16-18
- Galatians 5:13-14