The Bible teaches about what it means when Jesus said, "Love your Neighbor as your self".
No wonder Jesus answered to the question raised by Pharisees, one expert in the Law asked:
The Greatest Commandment
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
It is so amazing as to how God relates to us who are not a neighbor but enemies, when we sin we become an enemy of God, but God still Loves us and wants us to establish relationship with him through his Son - Jesus. If God is distant and ignorant or silent about us, he would not have intervened. So, Loving our neighbor is continuing the relationship that we as human should have along with the most important relationship with God.
The Bible from the time of Adam to the time of Jesus and further at the time of Church and when the Holy Spirit is given to us. God was working to build the broken relationship both with him and with one another.
Leviticus 19:9-18 English Standard Version (ESV)
Love Your Neighbor as Yourself
9 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. 10 And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.
11 “You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. 12 You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.
13 “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. 14 You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
15 “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life[a] of your neighbor: I am the Lord.
17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 18 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.
https://www.christianheadlines.com/columnists/guest-commentary/did-the-bible-play-a-role-in-shaping-the-u-s-constitution.html
Who else can give us the Law, but only the Law maker - God himself. He is a Just God, God of Justice, he can't ignore or be unjust when he see sin and injustice caused to the innocent. This is the Hope we have in him that he will bring Justice to each and every work.
“Establish justice…”
Psalms 82:3 - Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.
Proverbs 1:3 - To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
Proverbs 21:3 - To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
Ezekiel 45:9 - Thus saith the Lord GOD; Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel: remove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and justice, take away your exactions from my people, saith the Lord GOD.
Acts 10:34 - Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
https://nccs.net/blogs/articles/parallel-concepts-between-the-u-s-constitution-the-bible
https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7211&context=penn_law_review
Does God's hand has anything to do with what is happening in this World? Is God Sovereign?
Proverbs 21:1-9 King James Version (KJV)
21 The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.
3 To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.
5 The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.
6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.
7 The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment.
8 The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right.
9 It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.
We see whenever there was an outcry of injustice God has interfered. Psalm 10:18 You will hear the cries of the oppressed and the orphans; you will judge in their favor, so that mortal men may cause terror no more.
God acknowledges when he says: Jeremiah 32:27 "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
Isaiah 59:1
Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.
We see the natural calamities and blame the nature, but we human are also responsible for the evil that which is within us and what we do in the society and to the nature.
What about Wars and Destruction:
“'Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and His anointed' [Ps 2:1]. The meaning is that the nations shall set themselves and conspire vainly against the chosen of Israel in the Last Days."
Bible clearly points out the prophesy:
Matthew 24:7-13 New International Version (NIV)
7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
No wonder Jesus answered to the question raised by Pharisees, one expert in the Law asked:
The Greatest Commandment
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
It is so amazing as to how God relates to us who are not a neighbor but enemies, when we sin we become an enemy of God, but God still Loves us and wants us to establish relationship with him through his Son - Jesus. If God is distant and ignorant or silent about us, he would not have intervened. So, Loving our neighbor is continuing the relationship that we as human should have along with the most important relationship with God.
The Bible from the time of Adam to the time of Jesus and further at the time of Church and when the Holy Spirit is given to us. God was working to build the broken relationship both with him and with one another.
Leviticus 19:9-18 English Standard Version (ESV)
Love Your Neighbor as Yourself
9 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. 10 And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.
11 “You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. 12 You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.
13 “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. 14 You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
15 “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life[a] of your neighbor: I am the Lord.
17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 18 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.
https://www.christianheadlines.com/columnists/guest-commentary/did-the-bible-play-a-role-in-shaping-the-u-s-constitution.html
Who else can give us the Law, but only the Law maker - God himself. He is a Just God, God of Justice, he can't ignore or be unjust when he see sin and injustice caused to the innocent. This is the Hope we have in him that he will bring Justice to each and every work.
“Establish justice…”
Psalms 82:3 - Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.
Proverbs 1:3 - To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
Proverbs 21:3 - To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
Ezekiel 45:9 - Thus saith the Lord GOD; Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel: remove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and justice, take away your exactions from my people, saith the Lord GOD.
Acts 10:34 - Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
https://nccs.net/blogs/articles/parallel-concepts-between-the-u-s-constitution-the-bible
https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7211&context=penn_law_review
Does God's hand has anything to do with what is happening in this World? Is God Sovereign?
Proverbs 21:1-9 King James Version (KJV)
21 The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.
3 To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.
5 The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.
6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.
7 The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment.
8 The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right.
9 It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.
We see whenever there was an outcry of injustice God has interfered. Psalm 10:18 You will hear the cries of the oppressed and the orphans; you will judge in their favor, so that mortal men may cause terror no more.
God acknowledges when he says: Jeremiah 32:27 "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
Isaiah 59:1
Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.
We see the natural calamities and blame the nature, but we human are also responsible for the evil that which is within us and what we do in the society and to the nature.
What about Wars and Destruction:
“'Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and His anointed' [Ps 2:1]. The meaning is that the nations shall set themselves and conspire vainly against the chosen of Israel in the Last Days."
Bible clearly points out the prophesy:
Matthew 24:7-13 New International Version (NIV)
7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
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