AMLWCH METHODIST CHURCH
Anglesey, North Wales

Loving God and Neighbour

(Matthew 22:34-46)

 

It was an expert in the Law that asked the question, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”   The answer Jesus gave was “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”   It does not seem a difficult question to answer as any Jew should have known what to reply.   Yet, it had to be said.   Then Jesus added the second one, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

 

This second commandment is something I have personally found very important.   For a period, I had a lengthy time suffering anxiety.   During this time, I thought back on my life as a Christian and believed that I should always put myself down as a human being.   I felt that our faith placed us last in every case.   Was it not being too full of self-aggrandisement to think of self-love?   Once I had successfully beaten my anxiety, I realised that I liked myself.   I spoke of this to a minister whose response was to quote “love your neighbour as yourself.”   So it is not wrong to love oneself.

 

What I like most in this passage is that Jesus said of these two commandments, “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”“   You can see here that Jesus was really acting in line with his assertion that he had not come to abolish the Law but to fulfil it.   The new way would be one that was built on the Law of Moses.   This can be seen all through the Epistles.   So, we take upon ourselves the love and worship of God together with our purpose of loving neighbour and ourselves.   To love oneself includes to believe in oneself.    This is a great encouragement as we follow Jesus.