During the week prior to His crucifixion, Jesus engaged in debates with religious leaders in the temple in Jerusalem. One of His critics, a lawyer, asked Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:5 about loving God with all there is within us. Then He went on to say the next greatest command was to love our neighbors, and He quoted from Leviticus 19:18. 

“On these two commands hang all the Law and the Prophets,” Jesus said (Matthew 22:40). In other words, one single syllable—love—when biblically understood, fulfills every single law of the Bible.

A few days later Jesus demonstrated these two laws by dying on the cross. He loved the Father and submitted to the Father’s will. He loved us as neighbors and laid down His life for us. He was perfect in every way because He loved perfectly. He can love your neighbor through you. If there is someone you don’t particularly like, ask the Lord Jesus to love that person through you today.

When we give the Lord Jesus Christ more and more room in our lives, we cannot help but become more loving because Jesus will love others through us.
Michael Youssef