Matthew 22:36-40
The Greatest Commandment
36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
Matthew 5:43-48
Love for Enemies
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons 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. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Luke 10:25-37
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
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.”
As Jesus traveled around from village to village He was always teaching...And those He taught, of course, were men and women and children -who were like us...He went around teaching neighbors about Himself and about God...His parables are not some group of fictitious stories that have nothing to do with life...No, His wisdom and parables were for us to learn...And in His Teachings He is showing us that we are in His teachings...Any one of these people in His Teachings could be us...
And in Jesus teachings we see ourselves and our sins...He helped one woman out in the home of a Pharisee, who the host said that if He knew He were talking to, then He probably would not be talking to her...He helped out a man named Legion, who was troubled in mind and needed to be away from people, yet Jesus sought Him out to help Him...He helped out a blind man, who the Pharisees questioned over and over (and they questioned his parents too) about how he was blind from birth, yet was now able to see...His teachings touched the messiness and troubles and griefs of life...And yet, in each of His teachings there is an individual man there -which He saw as His neighbor, and we should too...That is what He teaches...We are to have mercy on our neighbors...We are all neighbors and we are to love both God and to love our neighbor, no matter, who they are...Even if we consider them our enemy...And we learn in the Parable of the Good Samaritan that those who are a neighbor to others are those who have mercy on each and every one of us...And when we think about this particular parable, the Good Samaritan is very much like Jesus...Jesus fits the Good Samaritan mold and man very well...
It is very, very difficult to want to help all your neighbors as Jesus did...And there is this Great Vulnerability in loving and wanting to help all your neighbors...Jesus teachings are not easy, any more than life is not easy...Just as loving your enemy, forgiving others, and having mercy on those who need help is not easy...But to be vulnerable in love and always being merciful as He was comes with a price...His LOVE in helping and teaching others, eventually cost Him His life...