Becoming a Community of Disciples

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Becoming a Community of Disciples

Loving One’s Neighbor (RBas §39) Q: How shall one be able to fulfill love for one’s neighbor (cf. Matt 22:36)? R: 1 In the first place, by fearing the judgement against those who trespass the commandment of the Lord, for he himself said: Whoever does not believe in the Son shall not have life, but the wrath of God shall stay over him (John 3:36). 2 Second, by yearning to reach eternal life, for his commandment is eternal life (John 12:50). 3 Now the first and the great commandment is: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your soul,” and the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as your very self” (Matt 22:36, 39). 4 Then if one desires to be made like the Lord who said: A new commandment I give you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you (John 13:34). 5 But we can appreciate this even from common sense, since if we have received a benefit from a brother for which we love the brother, we have become his debtors and love him deservedly. 6 This is customarily observed even among the Gentiles, as the Lord said in the gospel: if you love those who love you, what credit is it to you, since even sinners and pagans love those who love them (Luke 6:32; Matt 5:46–47). 7 If on the other hand a brother ill-treats us in some way or opposes us, then we ought to love him not only on account of the commandment, but on account of that something more which he offers us in the very fact that he harms us, 8 —that is, if we believe the Lord who said: Blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you and speak all manner of evil against you for my sake: