Two Great Commandments / Part 2

Two Great Commandments
Part 2: Love Your Neighbor

When Jesus was asked, “What commandment is great in the Law?” He replied that the first and greatest commandment was to love the Lord with all your heart and soul and mind (Mt. 22:34-40). Then He said that the second greatest commandment is, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” This is also a quote from Moses (Lev. 19:18).

Not The Golden Rule
Before we look at what this commandment means, we should see what it doesn’t mean. It is not the “golden rule” that says we should treat others as we would have them treat us. If Jesus, and Moses before Him, were only preaching the golden rule, what a hard-hearted world we would have! Very few people in our world actually follow the golden rule consistently; but even if everyone did, the amount of human misery would be impossible to calculate! Consider these examples of the golden rule:

• Since the rich man doesn’t expect the beggar to share his few cents with him, he is under no obligation to share his wealth with the beggar.
• Since the head of a large corporation is willing for his employees to negotiate the best wages and conditions they can, he has the reciprocal right to bargain down wages and conditions as low as he can.
• It’s raining outside, so a street gang takes over your house for the night. Since the gang recognizes your right to throw them out, they also claim the right to throw you out.

So the “golden rule” is fundamentally selfish. Unless it is used in the context of a positive duty towards your neighbor, independent of what you want for yourself, it inevitably leads to the rich, the powerful, the violent and the greedy plundering their neighbors; and it would let them do this with a clear conscience. But Jesus is not talking about the “golden rule” here; He is talking about love.

The context of this passage is a list of examples showing what it means to “love your neighbor” in day-to-day situations (Lev. 19:9-18). It is obvious that this “love your neighbor” is not about nice warm emotions; it is about your duty to provide for his needs and help him in his troubles, regardless of what you would have him do to you in return.

Be Generous
“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God” (Lev. 19:9-10 NKJV).

This verse is not much loved by modern economic advisers. Corporations all over the world are trying to squeeze every last drop of efficiency out of their assets. But here God is actually commanding economic inefficiency as part of His provision for the needy. Note that God doesn’t say allow the farmer to glean, and then give a proportion to the poor in compensation. By having to glean for their food, the poor are independent of direct charity, and thus retain some dignity. They are not at the mercy of the landowner choosing which of the poor will get food and which will miss out. Under this instruction, a landowner could still be generous, but respect the independence and dignity of the poor, without direct donation.

For example, Boaz commanded his men “Also, let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her” (Ruth 2:16). But this is not what we see today. Wealthy people and companies increase their wealth: by maximizing efficiency; by getting rid of some workers while driving the remaining ones to work harder; by maximizing returns on investments; and then, in an attempt to appear generous, by offering highly publicized donations to charities, or even setting up charities bearing their own name. As Jesus said of the Pharisees that pray in public, “They have their reward” (Mt. 6:5).

Also note that this provision is not only to benefit the poor in Israel; it is for the foreigner as well. If a foreigner is prepared to work, he should not be prevented from enjoying the benefits of his work. Scriptures make it clear that the foreigner in our midst is to be allowed every right accorded to the citizen. In Ruth it is the right to glean; in Exodus he is to be given the right to rest on the Sabbath, rather than being forced to work; in other places Moses instructs, “One law shall be for the native-born and the stranger who dwells among you” (Ex. 12:49; 23:12).

How do our current laws compare to the Scriptures? The reason for this command is, “I am the Lord your God” (Lev. 19:10). “Your” is plural here. The Lord is not only the God of the individual; He is also the God of the community. He protects and provides for the poor, and even the foreigner, in His own way – and provides them the dignity of independence from the rich and powerful in this process. He sets himself against any of the rich and powerful who would thwart His provision through their greed, or even channel this provision through their own hands for their own vainglory.

Be Honest
“You shall not steal, nor lie, nor deceive one another; and you shall not swear falsely by My Name, nor shall you pollute the Name of your God; I am the Lord” (Lev. 19:11-12).

The Lord demands that His people treat each other honestly. This does not just mean not telling lies; it also means not being ambiguous or misleading. This is because The Lord is “the truth” (Jn. 14:6), without any half-truths in Him. We can rely on Him and His word, without any fear that it might have hidden traps or loopholes. We can be confident that God has been totally open and honest with us, so we should be totally open and honest with each other. If one of His people misleads, even without actually stating a falsehood, it is a denial of the Lord’s character.

This is emphasized as God reminds us, “I am the Lord.” This does not have the same impact on us as it would have had in Moses’ time. To us, the word “Lord” is thought of as a title; but this is only the English translation of the name. God reminds us here of His actual name – the name He took as covenant-partner to His People, and by which He Himself swears. Also, the explanation reminds the reader that the “Lord is your God.” The singular form is used here, to remind the reader that God’s covenant is with each individual, as well as with the community as a whole. To break this ordinance is not just to treat your victim unjustly; it is to bring into question your own relationship with God.

Don’t Exploit
“You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning. You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God; I am the Lord” (Lev. 19:13-14).

In those days, a laborer was hired on a daily basis. At the end of the day, his wages were due him. Also, if the employer is able to pay the next morning, he must already have that pay available the previous evening. Why would he not pay immediately, at the end of the work? So what was the difference between paying him at the end of the day, or the next morning? What difference would it make?

If he is paid at the end of the day, the next morning he could be at the gathering place for laborers, in the town gate. This is where employers would look for the workers for that day’s work. But if the employer said, “Come back tomorrow, and I will pay you,” then that worker would not be able to present himself as a worker-for-hire at the town gate the next morning. He would have to use this time to collect his pay, and miss the daily labor market. He would then have no choice but to accept whatever work the previous day’s employer might offer, and at whatever pay rate. Thus, an employer could use this as a way of enforcing dependence, rather than allowing the laborer the dignity of seeking more gainful employment.

Late payment and abuse of the deaf and blind are all ways of exploiting the vulnerable. All three detract from a man’s dignity and independence. All three are a form of stealing; all three rob from your neighbor some measure of the opportunity, worth and respect due him. The reason for this is not a separate sentence, added to the end. It runs directly into the ordinances: “You shall not put a stumbling-block before the blind, but shall fear the Lord your God.” There is a direct connection here, to remind us that we are as vulnerable to God as any blind man might be to us. We rely on God to lighten our darkness, not put obstacles in it. We rely on God to speak words that bless, not curse us. If we are God’s people in truth, we will show His character. We will not take advantage of the vulnerability of others; rather, we will do what we can to minimize their difficulties.

But we live in a world driven by market forces, where suppliers charge as much as they can. Why? Because others need what they supply; they are vulnerable to the suppliers. Why do trade unions exist? Because in the early days of industrialization, there were more workers than jobs. The workers were vulnerable, and employers took advantage of them. Unions started as a tactic to make the employers vulnerable to organized labor. This attempt by each side to exploit the vulnerability of the other is not a good way of building a community in which each person is accorded the respect and dignity due to a covenant-partner with the God of Creation. And it’s not a smart way for individuals to act, if they remember how vulnerable they are to the God whose covenant-partner they’re exploiting.

Right Relationships
“You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor. You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord” (Lev. 19:15-16).

This instruction is about right relationships in community. As God hates favoritism, He requires that His people not be partial to the poor or rich when they make a judgment (1 Tim. 5:21). This means not oppressing the poor nor making the rich scapegoats in some “class warfare.” Slander is also forbidden, as it destroys communities by betraying a relationship. We should be careful that our words do not destroy another’s reputation.

Don’t Get Even
“You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall certainly rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord” (Lev. 19:17-18).

At last, the progression of instructions coming ever closer to the individual’s heart has finally hit the center. Remember that in Hebrew idiom, the heart was not the seat of the emotions. It was the organ that set priorities, made plans and decisions. To hate your brother in your heart did not mean an emotional aversion to him; it meant to plan his downfall, to make this a priority in your actions, even at the cost of other things dear to you. This command involves not just emotions, but a conscious decision and a determination to act in accordance with it.

The advice given to help you avoid hating your brother in your heart is to talk to him. Tell him what he has done that has caused offense. Don’t let it fester inside, so that you end up bearing a grudge. If it causes you to not be generous towards him, this will be a return sin in your own heart. So talk it through. Genuinely seek the best for him, as you seek the best for yourself; and this can only be done by co-operation – not by hatred, vengeance or silence. Don’t take vengeance; the classic response of “get even!” should have no place. Don’t get angry; don’t get even; do get right.

A Greater Love
But don’t stop here. To love your neighbor as yourself is beyond the ability of a fallen person; but Jesus says that even this is not enough. In His final discourse with the disciples, Jesus raises the standard higher to, “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn. 13:34). No longer is our own love, even for ourselves, the measure of righteousness. That is too weak. For Christians, the true standard is the love of Jesus himself. If we love as Jesus loved, we will love our neighbor more than ourselves. We will make whatever sacrifices are demanded to bring our neighbor to the realization of the love of God for him, a sinner. This is the characteristic that should distinguish those who follow Christ (Jn. 13:35).

By Bob Springett

Next month look for a new series.