Loving Neighbor: LCS Talk 6

LCS talk 6:
Loving Neighbor
A. INTRODUCTION
1. Last session we looked at the first and greatest

commandment. Today we look at the second.
Mk 12:28-31.
2. Loving neighbor, together with loving God, form the core

of the Christian life. Jesus summed up the whole law in
these two greatest commandments.
3. The two go together. 1 Jn 4:20-21. Thus it is clear: no

love for others, no Christianity.
2 Greatest Commandments
MARK 12:28-31
The most important one is this; Listen, Israel!
The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the
Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second most important commandment is
this; “Love your neighbor as you love
yourself.” There is no other commandment
more important than these two.
1 JOHN 4:20-21
If we say we love God, but hate others, we are
liars. For we can not love God, whom we have
not seen, if we do not love others, whom we
have seen. The command that Christ has given
us is this: “Whoever loves God must
love others also.”
B. What
Christian
Love is
not
1. Love is not only having positive feelings.
a) Love is often equated with feelings of sexual attraction,

personal affection, warmth.
b) But feelings change and thus cannot be the sole basis for love.
c) Feelings follow true love, but love is not equal to feelings.
2. Love is not always saying “yes.
a) To serve others or to put them first does not mean

never turning down opportunities to serve.
* Sometimes you are unable. Sometimes you
should not, even if able.
b) We have the wrong concept of a loving person as
a nice guy who tries to please everybody.
3. Love is not defensive.
a) Love is risky business. What if one betrays you? What if your loved one
dies? Love seems to set one up to get hurt.
* Thus guarded love tries to protect itself from injury. Avoidance of pain,
difficulty and trial then become a condition attached to love.
b) Christian love is not guaranteed to be painless. But the pain is endured
through commitment, and the injury is sustained through forgiveness,
forbearance, etc.
4. Love is not self-seeking.
a) The focus in loving is not ourselves but others. By

its nature, Christian love is ready for self-denial.
b) We recognize that putting others first can be
bothersome or inconvenient for us.
5. Love is not manipulative.
a) You manipulate when you give love as a reward or

withdraw love as a punishment.
b) Because love is so powerful, people are tempted to
use it in this way. But this is a conditional form of
love.
C. SO WHAT IS CHRISTIAN LOVE?
WHAT DOES GOD MEAN BY LOVE?
C. SO WHAT IS CHRISTIAN LOVE
1. The answer is in John 15.
a) Jesus spoke of a love that is connected with

keeping God’s commandments. Jn 15:9-10.
* There can be no Christian love apart from
righteousness. Loving is not compatible with sinning.
* The world’s experience shows that love apart from
God has become convoluted with sin (e.g., sex
outside marriage).
b) Jesus was specific about how we are to love one
another. Jn 15:12.
* We are not free to change or dilute Jesus’ direction.
c) How does Jesus love? Jn 15:13. With a self-
sacrificial love.
* It is not just giving our time, imparting our wisdom,
praying for others, etc., but it is being willing to die for
others.
JOHN 15: 9-10
I love you just as the Father loves me;
remain in my love, If you obey my
commands, you will remain in my love,
just as I have obeyed my Father’s
commands and remain in his love.
JOHN 15: 12
My commandment is this:
“ Love one another, just I love you.”
JOHN 15: 13
The greatest love you can have for your
friends is to give your life to them.
2. But most are not called to actually
die for others. How then do we
translate love into practical
everyday terms?
a) The answer is in Jn 13:1-5 (the foot-washing

episode).
* What Jesus did was most unusual, because it was
the task of the youngest slave. Thus Peter objected.
b) Thus, dying on the cross was not the only example
Jesus gave. He demonstrated Christian love as
service love.
c) When he finished, Jesus told them to do likewise.
Jn 13:14-15.
* Later he commanded them to love each other
according to his example. Jn 13:34.
d) Christian love is therefore committed service.
Gal 5:13b-14.
John 13:1-15
It was the day before the Passover Festival.
Jesus knew that the hour has come for Him
to leave this world and go to the Father. He
had always love those in the world who
were his own, and he loved them to the very
end. Jesus and his disciples were at supper.
The Devil had already put into the heart of
Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, the
thought of betraying Jesus.
John 13:1-5
Jesus knew that the Father has given him
complete power; he knew that he had come
from God and he was going to God. So he
rose from the table, took off his outer
garment, and tied a towel around his waist.
Then he poured some water into a
washbasin and began to wash the disciples’
feet and dry them with towel around his
waist.
John 13:14-15
I, you Lord and Teacher, have just washed you
feet. You, then, should wash one another’s feet. I
have set an example for you, so that you will
do what I have done for you.
John 13:34
And now I give you a new commandment
“ Love one another, as I have loved you, so
you must love one another.”
Galatians 5:13-14
As for you, my friends, you were called to be
free. But do not let this freedom become an
excuse for letting your physical desires control
you. Instead, let love serve you one another. For
the whole Law is summed up in one
commandment: “ Love your neighbor as
you love yourself.”
3. And who is your neighbor?
Can you choose whom to love?
a) The answer is in the parable of the good Samaritan.

Lk 10:29b-37.
* The Jews hated the Samaritans, who had inter-
married among the gentiles. Thus it was
remarkable for this Samaritan to help the Jew
who was robbed and beaten.
b) The implication for us: all persons in need of our help
are our neighbors.
Luke 10:29b-37
But the teacher of the Law
wanted to justify him, so he
ask Jesus, “Who is my
neighbor?” Jesus
answered, There was once
a man who was going down
from Jerusalem to Jericho
when robbers
attacked him, stripped him,
and beat him up, leaving
him half dead, It so
happened that a priest was
going down that road; but
when he saw the man, he
walked on by on the other
side.
Luke 10:29b-37
In the same way a Levite
also came there, went over
and looked at the man, and
then walked on by on the
other side. But a Samaritan
who was travelling that way
came upon the man, and
when he saw him, his heart
was filled with pity. He went
over to and looked at the
man. He went over to him,
poured oil and wine on his
wounds and bandaged
them: then he put the man
on his own
Luke 10:29b-37
animal and took him to an
inn, where he took care of
him. The next day he took
out two silver coins and
gave them to the innkeeper.
“Take care of him,” he told
the innkeeper, and when I
came back this way, I will
pay you whatever else you
spend on him.” And Jesus
concluded, “ In ouropinion,
which one of these three
acted like neighbor toward
the man attacked by the
robbers?”
Luke 10:29b-37
The teacher of the Law
answered, “The
one who was kind to him.”
Jesus replied, “You go,
then, and do the
same.”
D. How do we love in everyday life?
D. How do we love in everyday life?
1. Characteristics of Christian love. 1 Cor 13:4-7.

.
Characteristics of Christian love.
a)Patient - slow to anger; able to give allowance

for the shortcomings of others.
b)Kind - not an attitude of criticism, but posture
and speech that builds up and encourages.
c) Not jealous - not coveting what others have,
or begrudging another for having something
you do not have.
d)Not pompous or inflated - humble, not thinking
of your own importance; more impressed with
your own unworthiness than merit.
e)Not rude - accord honor and respect to one
another.
f) Not self-seeking - not focused on having
your rights met, but more on your duties.
g) Not quick-tempered - able to master your
emotions and feelings.
h) Not brooding over injury - not holding
grudges or resentments.
i) Not rejoicing over wrongdoing - always
seeking the good of others, even enemies.
j) Rejoices with the truth - telling the truth to
one another.
k) Forebears - can bear insult, injury,
disappointment, without taking counter
action; has self-control.
l) Trusts - believing the best about other
people.
m) Hopes - having a positive attitude towards
life and problems; can remain joyful and
peaceful under any circumstance.
n) Endures - can bear things, not with
passive resignation but with triumphant
fortitude.
Conclusion
1. Christian love is a command, and it is essential to

Christianity.
a) We have seen what it is not.
b) We have seen what it is.
c) We have also taken a look at the various
characteristics of love.
Conclusion
2. If you come to the conclusion that Christian love is

difficult or even impossible, you are right.
a) Given the nature of love and also our own
human limitations, mere human effort will fail.
It is impossible without God’s help.
b) But Jesus who commanded us to love also
gives us the power to love. To enable us to
love, God made us temples of the Holy Spirit.
Rom 5:5.
ROMANS 5:5
This hope does not disappoint us, for God has
poured out his love into our hearts by means of
the Holy Spirit, who is God’s gift to us.
Group discussion
How has your understanding of love
changed based on its biblical meaning?

Loving Neighbor: LCS Talk 6

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LCS talk 6:

1. Last session we looked at the first and greatest

2. Loving neighbor, together with loving God, form the core

3. The two go together. 1 Jn 4:20-21. Thus it is clear: no

a) Love is often equated with feelings of sexual attraction,

a) To serve others or to put them first does not mean

a) The focus in loving is not ourselves but others. By

a) You manipulate when you give love as a reward or

a) Jesus spoke of a love that is connected with

a) The answer is in Jn 13:1-5 (the foot-washing

a) The answer is in the parable of the good Samaritan.

1. Characteristics of Christian love. 1 Cor 13:4-7.

a)Patient - slow to anger; able to give allowance

1. Christian love is a command, and it is essential to

2. If you come to the conclusion that Christian love is

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