Love Yourself
“Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Matthew 12:39 GNT
“My love for others is neither less nor greater than my love for myself. My love for others is equal to my love for myself. There is no difference.”
The Missing Commandment: Love Yourself – Jerry and Denise Basel, J & D Publications, Kindle Edition
If our neighbor is worthy of love, surely, we are as well? And the command must apply to him as well, in loving us? Can anyone really love others more than they love themselves? Can anyone give love that they have not received?
Starting with Yourself
So, we must start with ourselves, and at first blush, this sounds awful! It seems to express selfishness. However, we know this is not what Jesus was suggesting. The one who said we must lose our life to find it! “If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.” 1 John 3:1 The Message
One of the many downsides of living under the “letter of the law” is introspection. The deadly harmful kind that tells us we are worthless. That tells us worthiness is found in appearance, intellect, or gifting. But, You had nothing to do with having any of these. You were born with them. However, who and whose you are, is where worth is found!
Love’s Source
Can you hear that through the tuning fork of love, the other-centered and self-giving love of God? If you have not received Abba’s love, you are still a taker, not a giver, for He alone is the source of LOVE. If you have any at all, you received it from Him! The insecure and needy person just sticks their straw into anyone and everyone they meet. This straw-sucking thing is not a love of self or a love of others, just the selfish self taking care of itself!
When God created humanity, He said, “…it was good.” In fact, “very Good.” In John’s gospel chapter three verse sixteen, he tells us, “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son.” InMatthew 10:39, he says, “What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are.” Remember, the actual value of something is set by the price someone is willing to pay, and God gave Himself for you! What higher price could there be?
Persuade Us
The Mirror Bible has a beautiful reflection on this in its notes on Hebrews 6:17.
“In the same context we are confronted with God’s eagerness to go to the last extreme in his dealing with us as heirs of his promise, and to cancel out all possible grounds for doubt or dispute. In order to persuade us of the unalterable character and finality of his resolve he (1)confined himself to an oath. The promise which already belongs to us by heritage is now also confirmed under oath. (The word (1)mesiteo is used, interposed or mediated. Compare mesites, mediator, from mesos, midst. In the incarnation, God has positioned himself in the midst, of his creation. See Galatians 3:20, “With Abraham there was no middleman; it was just God!” The Mosaic law required mediators, the Levitical priesthood, because it was an arrangement whereby mankind had a part and God had a part. Mankind’s part was to obey the commandments and God’s part was to bless. God’s covenant with Abraham was a grace covenant pointing to Jesus Christ, in whom God himself would fulfill mankind’s part and therefore, needed no mediator apart from himself.”
“A dear friend, Mellissa Perez says, ‘In the incarnation he fulfills both the proposal and the ‘I do’”!
“The Word is the promise; the Incarnate, crucified and risen Christ, is the proof. He desires to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose. RSV”
“(2)Mankind was not redeemed from the devil; a thief never becomes an owner; neither did Jesus do what he did to change the Father’s mind about us! It was our minds that needed persuasion! God was not to be reconciled to his creation; God was in Christ when he reconciled the world to himself! 2 Corinthians 5:18-20″
(Note: Francois updated this thought above with the following: (2)“The price paid for your redemption was not to negotiate a deal with the devil for your release, but to persuade your mind of your individual, original value!”) The Mirror Study Bible Translation
Note: see Covenant of Faith for more about God’s covenant with Abraham
You should believe and receive this love and security for yourself. The acquiring of something limitless that you can share with others! Loving your neighbor and enemy as yourself is where ALL are included, and God Loves His enemies!!!
The Missing Commandment is an introductory reflection on the Unspoken Sermon linked below: