As Yourself

Today’s episode is about the second half of an ancient commandment that many of us know by heart: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It comes from Leviticus 19:18, part of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, that Jesus cited one day when asked which commandment in the law was the greatest. At first, he answers as expected by citing the "Shema" of Deuteronomy 6, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength." But then he adds: "a second commandment is like the first, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"I've preached and heard a lot of sermons on the first half of that second commandment: "Love your neighbor." But until recently I'd rarely paid attention to the second half of it: the "as yourself" part. As it turns out, it's both prescriptive and descriptive. We can only give to others what we are already giving to ourselves. Far from being indulgent, honoring and loving ourselves allows us to love our neighbor well. Feedback? I'd love to hear from you at [email protected]. Thanks for listening, friends. You are loved and never alone!