Loving your neighbor

[ChavaK]

Lev. 19:18 "You shall not take revenge and you shall
not bear a grudge against the members of your
people; you shall love your fellow as yourself".

How can we be commanded to "love our fellow" as
ourself-how can feelings be mandated?
What is meant by your "fellow"?

[GerTzedek]

Love is not feelings. Love is actions. Most of the time, if we act, the feelings will follow. But we are to act loving whether or not we have sentiments.

When Yeshua was asked, "Who is my neighbor?" he chose to answer instead how we can BE a neighbor.

Please, no Mr. Rogers jokes. :D

[Henaynei]

no where in scripture is love defined as a feeling... love is an action... in fact "love" has only become defined solely as a disembodied "feeling" in the last century or so

neighbor:
the hebrew [rea] there translated fellow or neighbor also means:
friend, companion, fellow, another person

friend, intimate
fellow, fellow-citizen, another person (weaker sense)
other, another (reciprocal phrase)Yeshua also quoted this passage to His followers and they asked the same question.

Mattityahu 22:39; Markus 12:31; Lukus 10:27

the greek [plesion] means:

a neighbour
a friend
any other person, and where two are concerned, the other (thy fellow man, thy neighbour), according to the Jews, any member of the Hebrew nation and commonwealth
according to Christ, any other man irrespective of nation or religion with whom we live or whom we chance to meet (I think this is putting the "traditional" Christian interpertation upon this rather than the actual)Here is a good definition of "love":

1Corinthians 13

1 I may speak in the tongues of men, even angels; but if I lack love, I have become merely blaring brass or a cymbal clanging. 2 I may have the gift of prophecy, I may fathom all mysteries, know all things, have all faith - enough to move mountains; but if I lack love, I am nothing. 3 I may give away everything that I own, I may even hand over my body to be burned; but if I lack love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient and kind, not jealous, not boastful, 5 not proud, rude or selfish, not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not gloat over other people's sins but takes its delight in the truth. 7 Love always bears up, always trusts, always hopes, always endures. 8 Love never ends; but prophecies will pass, tongues will cease, knowledge will pass. 9 For our knowledge is partial, and our prophecy partial; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, argued like a child; now that I have become a man, I have finished with childish ways. 12 For now we see obscurely in a mirror, but then it will be face to face. Now I know partly; then I will know fully, just as God has fully known me. 13 But for now, three things last trust, hope, love; and the greatest of these is love.

[Bananna]

Lev. 19:18 "You shall not take revenge and you shall
not bear a grudge against the members of your
people; you shall love your fellow as yourself".

How can we be commanded to "love our fellow" as
ourself-how can feelings be mandated?
What is meant by your "fellow"?

When we realize the great love and mercy of God... it is not hard.

From very personal experience. I did not want to hate the man that molested me any more. I wanted to see him with God's eyes. I didn't want to fear him. Constantly speak his evil ways... be consumed by hate.

I prayed for God to show me this man with His eyes. God gave me a litteral vision of the life of living with his abusive alcoholic father as a child... that is what God showed me. An abused child.

I was greatful not to have lived such a life with such a father. He was really a hurting child in a man's body. Stand up to him and he would crumble. The alcohol made him wicked. I would never trust him. But I can show love and concern for him.

bananna

[TheRabbi]

What must we do before we love our neighbor as ourself? We must love ourselves. If you hate yourself, we don't need you loving others as you love yourself.

This commandment requires that we first love ourselves.

[Tishri1]

AMEN Rabbi you know I grew up with very lenient parents and it was sometimes not a good thing but one thing they did expect of me more than the usual do's and dont's was to love everyone :groupray:and it may have been born in me or it may have been my up bringing but I do have this instinct to love, the only time I may not appear to be loving is when I feel someone has attacked an innocent person around me....then I may act unloving for a time only but after when I see that same person again its thru eyes that love again......

I was also dealt some death blows growing up from some very evil people and what Bananna said is true if you ask ABBA to show you that person's heart he will show you, and heal your as well:pray:

[TheRabbi]

I think alot of it comes down to what's inside of us.

If we are full of hatred, we will be able to find something wrong with the kindest, gentlest person on the planet.

If, however, our heart is sensitive and full of God's love, we can find the good, even in what seems to be the most vile person. This is what enables one to love not only his neighbor, but his enemy also.

Our ability to love our neighbor is determined much more by what's inside of us than what's inside our neighbor.

[Steve Petersen]

Our ability to love our neighbor is determined much more by what's inside of us than what's inside our neighbor.


Great thought. Have to rep you for that!

[ShirChadash]

Great thought. Have to rep you for that!
I agree!

[MN John]

Ahh.. I saw this question and was eager to answer. But I see many of you have already given great answers along the lines of what I would say too

Love is a choice. Love is an action. There is also an emotion called "love" that is the emotion that drives us toward choosing to love someone and acting lovingly towards them.

Great answers, friends!

[A_Pioneer]

"You have heard that it is said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven;

Quite a bit more than just loving your neighbor as yourself.

Don't we want to become the sons of the living God?

[visionary]

Yes, that love gets way above our mortal minds and into the way GOd sees it.

[Tishri1]

amen thats love at its truest, purest

ABBA Make me like that please!!!!