Luke 10:25-28
What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? This is the second greatest commandment in all of the scriptures. Yet how often do we stop to both identify who our neighbors are, and think of what it means to love them? And not only to love them but to love them as we love ourselves? This command from Jesus is not unique to the New Testament. Right after God had delivered Israel from their slavery in Egypt by his mighty power he gave them a set of laws by which they were to live. Amongst these laws given in the book of Leviticus was the following:
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
The people of God have always been called to a communal life and identity. One where we are considering not only ourselves but those around us.
Philippians 2:3-4Now it is easy to say in a purely theoretical sense that we should love your neighbor as ourselves. It is much harder to step back, identify our neighbor, define what it would mean to love them and then to actually do it. Let’s take a look at the rest of the passage in Leviticus and see how its Instruction informs us as to how we should love our neighbor.
Leviticus 19:9-10These are farmers who farmed for themselves, their flocks and for trade, all to sustain themselves and their families. Now we are not an agrarian society anymore here in the west but we do business to sustain ourselves and our families in other ways. God was instructing his people to intentionally refrain from being maximally efficient with their business so that immigrants and those who were in need could be provided for. God instructed his people to choose not to reap the full reward of their hard work and labor so that those who had no viable means of providing for themselves could share in the provision. While I can think of many objections to this policy because of the negative effects it could bring on a community it would be a moot point before God who wants us to see all provision as a gift from him which we steward by distributeing to those who need it. He is able to provide for any need which arises, and he wants us to love our neighbor as ourselves by sharing the provision he gives us. How else does God say to love our neighbor?
Leviticus 19:11-13There are many ways that a person can manipulate situations and opinions for their benefit and for another's harm. To steal is to cheat the natural order and obtain what is not yours, what you have not earned. To oppress is to force someone else to earn a thing on your behalf without them getting any reward. And to deal falsely is to trick someone else into doing something that benefits you more than them. These commands do not have many degrees of separation between them. In each case you are manipulating a situation for your own benefit and to the detriment of another person. Even swearing falsely by God's name is to use his reputation, to steal his glory and use it for your own devices. So we see that both passages are advocating, neigh commanding us to look not to our own interests but also to the interests of others.
Leviticus 19:15-16Yet in your dealings you should not show more partiality to any group of people. The use of righteousness here is not meant to represent the modern meaning of the word but its original meaning is something different entirely. Theologian Nicholas Wolterstorff has this to say concerning righteousness, specifically in the context of acting Justly:
You should not deal unjustly but you should judge in the right way that God most desires. He does not desire an unfair and unjust society where people are able to work the justice system to get what they want, or to oppress others, or to virtue signal and give the rich what they deserve. He desires a society where the poor and the immigrants have the provisions they need. Where people do not devalue others by manipulating situations to their own benefit to the detriment of others. He desires for his people, for all people to seek the common good and look to steward whatever he gives us to the benefit of all of his people.
So how can we follow these commands today? One way may be to examine our lives and start to get to know who our neighbors are. Who are the poor, the immigrants, or just the people who live near us. Find out what their needs are and consider how you can use the good fruit that God has given you to look out for them as well. Maybe no one who lives in your neighborhood needs something, I bet you there is an immigrant family near you that does though. I bet there is a poor person near you that does. Find out their name and their story, and find out what they need. chances are God has given you enough for the both of you.