LUKE 10:27 (ISV)—”You must love your neighbor as yourself”
Jesus died to make us like Him. Saving us shows He has a saviour’s heart. If truly He’s made us like Him, then we must have a saviour’s heart too. What does this imply?
First, it means to love others as He loved them. God measures our Love for others based on how we love ourselves. We can’t exceed that. But wait, there’s no commandment that we should love ourselves. Yes, because we’re inclined to love ourselves only. Now, that’s dangerous. We can’t give what we don’t have. The love that proceeds from us is quite harmful. For instance, an alcoholic would rather have his needy friend drink with him than give him money. That’s loving his friend as he loves himself.
So, what’s the cure for this foolish love? Only by first learning love from the Lord can our Love be healthy. That’s why Jesus commanded to first love the Lord. Only He can teach us real love and so save others from ourselves and themselves.