Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself - Who is my Neighbor and How must I Love him/her

"Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself"  

Who is my Neighbor and How must I Love him/her

Stes de Necker

Introduction

In Matt. 22: 39 Jesus commanded us: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself"

In the English and Hebrew Bibles, the word "neighbor" is used, while in other Bibles the word ‘nearest’ is used like in the Afrikaans Bible.  

The question is so often asked: "So who is my neighbor?" or, “Does it refer to the person or persons living in the house next to me?”

The Hebrew word for "neighbor", as used in the Torah is "rei-acha" meaning the Jews' immediate families or fellow Jews. The word "rei-acha" include concepts such as "your children" or "your brothers”.   

The Hebrew word for the person living next to you and what we would normally refer to as neighbor is "shachen", while the word used for husband or wife (spouse) is "rei-ah".

The correct Hebrew translation of the word "neighbor" is "rei-acha" which consequently means only the Jew’s immediate family.

Meaning of the word "neighbor"

If it was not for the Old Testament, we would have had a serious problem, because then it would have meant that only Jews were commanded to love one another!

But fortunately we find the rest of the meaning of the word neighbor in Lev. 19: 33: “And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him."  And then continues in verse 34: “But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." 

It follows therefore that the Lord Jesus' reference to "thy neighbor" in the New Testament (Matthew. 22: 39), refers to all people living in any community, Christians as well as non-Christians.

Meaning of the word love in the Bible

The next question so many people ask is: "What does it mean when the Bible says we must ‘love’ our neighbor?"

The biblical meaning of the word "love" does not mean we should walk arms around everyone we meet!       

In the Old Testament text of Leviticus, the Hebrew word "ahava" or "Ahab" is used. In Hebrew, there is another word for the concept of love and that is "hesed". The word hesed presupposes a hierarchical structure where someone on a higher level of the hierarchy, "hesed" (love) a person further down the hierarchy. It refers to God's love for man, and therefore man's love for his fellow man and his children. The word "hesed" do not refers to a child's love for his parents, or one's love for God.

The word "ahava" or "Ahab" is therefore the only Hebrew word for the concept of love as we would normally understand the term ‘love’. In the Hebrew style, the word ahava actually have two meanings, namely (a) I do, and (b) love. In Lev. 19:18 in the Hebrew Bible, the word "ve-a- hav-ta” which actually means “you have to give love ":

            לא תקם ולא תטר את בני עמך ואהבת לרעך כמוך אני יהוה: Lev. 19:18

Throughout the Hebrew translation of the New Testament, the word "ahava" is used for the concept of love in general. So for example. We read in Matt. 22: 39:

                            לא תקם ולא תטר את בני עמך ואהבת לרעך כמוך אני יהוה

“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

In both the Old and the New Testament, the word "ahava" or "Ahab" (ואהבת) is used when the Bible speaks of love.

When we look in the Greek translation of the Bible (Septuagint) at the New Testament text from Matthew, we see that the Greek word "agape" is used in Matt. 22: 39.  

In Greek there are four different words that describe love, namely:

• agape

• Eros

• Philia

• Storge

The word agape (agape ἀγάπη) means unconditional, sacrificial, compassionate love. In the Greek translation of 1 Cor. 13, as in the rest of the New Testament, the word agape is constantly used to describe the meaning of love.    

The word s'agapo (Σ'αγαπώ) that "I love you" does not refer to the love between husband and wife or between a boyfriend and girlfriend. This kind of love is referred to as Eros, that intimate, passionate (including sexual) love. Hence the word ‘erotic’.

The remaining two words Philia and Storge refers to the emotional love, for instance, between brother and sister or the love that exist between close friends (Philia), or the affection we will have for a pet or a motorcar (Storge).  

When Paul, in Rom. 12: 10 says "kindl brotherly love for one another", he refers to ‘Phileo’ (verb of Philia) and when Jesus instructs us to love our neighbor as ourselves, Jesus uses the word ‘Agape’.

So what does Jesus command ‘to love thy neighbor as thyself’ means for us Christians today?

From all the different meanings of the term "love your neighbor", English, Hebrew and Greek, there is only one meaning for the word ‘love’ as it is meant in the Bible, and that is the unconditional love that asks nothing in exchange.

But we also know that for us, sinful and wayward creatures, it is difficult, if not downright impossible, to give such love. Even within marriage, ‘Agape’ love is not always possible. “I love you, but you must love me.”

Jesus instructs us in Luke. 6: 27-31 (27) "You must love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; (28) bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you; (29) If someone strikes you on one cheek, offer him the other one; If someone takes your outerwear, also offer him your underwear; (30) To everyone who asks something, you must give; if someone takes your stuff you should not claim it back; (31) Treat others as you yourself want to be treated"

This certainly sounds as if our Savior is expecting too much of us!

But isn’t that exactly how we love ourselves? We are often our own worst enemy; sometimes we hate ourselves; sometimes we curse ourselves; we blame ourselves; we torment ourselves; we treat ourselves badly; we want to be treated like we think we should be treated! Despite all these emotions, we still love ourselves.

So when Jesus tells us we must love our neighbors as ourselves, that is exactly what he meant, "as we love ourselves", because that's how He loves us.

In John. 15: 9 Jesus said "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. You must remain in My love. "And further in verse 10:" 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 "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I love you."

Unconditional agape (love) is only in and through Jesus Christ possible; In ourselves we can never have that love.   

In the world that we live in where we hear every day of the atrocities and murder that is going on in the Middle East and where there are currently 45 wars going on around the world, one wonders involuntarily if the loved ones and families that are affected and left behind by these conflicts, can really follow Jesus' command that we should love our enemies (Matthew. 6: 44).

Can Christians really, in such circumstances, still forgive and forget and love each other?

It is within this context that Jesus tells us in John. 15: 16 says "So Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."

Forgiveness and love is and always will remain possible if we seek it, not within ourselves, but in the power and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Humanly it is not possible.

So we find these almost incomprehensible paradoxes in the Bible that -

We must ask God for the faith that we must have to believe in Him;

We must ask God for the love we must have to love Him;

We must ask God for the faith (hope) that we need to trust him;

We must ask God for the love for our neighbors so we may love them as we love ourselves.  

So whenever we have doubt if we will ever be able to meet the requirements to comply with God's will, then we have this wonderful consolation:

"As the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name."