Title (Thursday) Let's Love Our Neighbors
Contents
Hymn: 369 "With All Your Heart and All Your Heart"
Meditation: What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself?
Confession of Faith: Apostles' Creed
Text: “You shall also love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:25-37).
Word: To the person who asked which law was the most important, Jesus said that the first is to love God and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself. That's right. The love of the cross in Christianity is vertical love for God and horizontal love for neighbor.
A lawyer asked, “Who is my neighbor?” to establish his own impartiality. Then Jesus told the parable of the good Samaritan and said, “Go and do likewise.” Sometimes people hate and trample their neighbors in order to love themselves. But that's stupid. For to love your neighbor is to love yourself.
Here is an example. Two fish lived in a small pond deep in the mountains. However, when these two met, they would fight each other. The reason was the thought that if there was no opponent, he could monopolize the pond. Finally, one day, a fight broke out, and one of them was killed. He liked that the fish that won the battle took possession of the well. However, within a few days, the winning fish also died. This is because the dead fish are rotating and the water is polluted.
All creatures created by God are happy when they live together. If I try to live alone by sacrificing others, I feel empty and unhappy. The Christian gospel teaches us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Why? Broadly speaking, neighbors are one family, and they are brothers and sisters. We are happy when we love each other even at home. Loving your neighbor is ultimately the way for you. Those who truly love God love their neighbors. Saying you love God but not loving your neighbor is a false belief.
Neighbors are one family. To love my brothers and sisters is to love me. Conversely, to hate your brother is to hate yourself.
Prayer: Dear God, forgive us for not loving each other during this time. Help me to become a disciple of the Lord who can love even his enemies. Help me to know that my neighbors are one family and members of my body and to love them. I pray in Jesus name. Amen
Lord's Prayer