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Explanation for:
Matthew
22
:
39
And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
10
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Why is it comparable? The latter facilitates the former and is mutually reinforced by it. It is written, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light” (John 3:20); and elsewhere, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 13:1). What results from this? “They have become corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds” (ibid.). Furthermore, “the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith” (1 Tim. 6:10); and, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Among all His commandments, the foremost is, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and thy neighbor as thyself.”"},{"author-name":"Ephraem the Syrian","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88b589fc3e99eb7bb1839_Ephraem%20the%20Syrian.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The love we bear for God protects us from destruction, while our love for others shields us from offense, for those who love do not take offense. Yet, what hearts can truly harbor love for all people who share our flesh? Or which human spirit can extend to every soul the love that this commandment, serving as the foundation of love, has inspired within us? 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' Our being cannot contain the vibrant and abundant will of the Divine, but it is only the fruits of God that fulfill His desires. Angels manifested their nature, kings acted within their authority, and prophets performed wonders, yet humanity awaited salvation until He descended from heaven, taking us by the hand and lifting us up. Thus, every follower of Christ is empowered by these two commandments, soaring as if on two wings: love for God and love for others."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The second commandment is referred to in a manner akin to the first, due to its significant nature; both are interconnected and rely upon one another. Those who have genuine love for their neighbors demonstrate their love for God by adhering to His commandments, while those who fail to love their neighbors are also failing to love God, since they do not uphold His commandments. This commandment, while not second in terms of its legislative order, holds an important place in the teachings."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The second commandment similarly calls for fairness among people. There are two paths leading to destruction: misguided teachings and immoral living. To guard against falling into false teachings, we are instructed to love God, and to prevent ourselves from engaging in immoral behavior, we must love our neighbor. The person who loves their neighbor fulfills all the commandments, and the one who observes the commandments demonstrates their love for God. Thus, these two commandments are interconnected, reinforce one another, and encompass all the other commandments. Who, in their love for God and their neighbor, would resort to theft, harbor resentment, commit murder, or engage in adultery or fornication? This lawgiver initially sought to test, but upon receiving a wise reply from Christ, he gained understanding and was commended by Christ, as noted in St. Mark: \\"Jesus, seeing that he answered wisely, said to him, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God'\\" (Mk. 12:34)."},{"author-name":"Nicephoros (Theotokis)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8958407451968d9c204fb_Nicephoros%20(Theotokis).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":18,"exegesis-text":"He refers to love for one’s neighbor as the second commandment, akin to the first, for love originates from the first and is intertwined with it, being inseparable. Those who genuinely love God, as mandated by the first commandment, also extend their love to their neighbor; all who believe in the One who brings forth new life also love those born of Him (1 John 5:1). Conversely, those who lack love for their neighbor diminish their love for God: if one fails to love their brother, whom they can see, how can they genuinely love God, whom they have not seen (1 John 4:20)? Observe how the God-Man has established the standard for our love toward God as all-encompassing: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind (Matt. 22:37); however, the measure of our love for our neighbor is the love we have for ourselves: You shall love your neighbor as yourself (v. 39). Love your neighbor in the same way you cherish yourself. Just as you diligently care for your own well-being, so too should you strive for the well-being of your neighbor."},{"author-name":"Tichon of Zadonsk","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989ff6b5b4c943e70095_Tichon%20of%20Zadonsk.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":18,"exegesis-text":"The Scriptures present a profound depiction of love for our fellow man: “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). Just as you cherish yourself, extend that same love to your neighbor. As you desire others not to insult, take from, slander, betray, or harm you, so refrain from acting in such ways toward them. As you would not wish anyone to abandon you in your time of need, do not leave your neighbor to fend for themselves. As you hope for assistance in your own struggles, strive to aid those who are experiencing hardship. Just as you wish for someone to feed the hungry, provide drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, grant rest to the weary, visit those in prison and the sick, console the grieving, offer understanding to the doubtful, educate the uninformed, liberate the captive, and support the vulnerable, so too should you endeavor to fulfill these acts of kindness for your neighbor. “And as you would have men do unto you, so do ye also unto them,” teaches Christ (Matt. 7:12). In addition, St. John the Theologian, who deeply loved both Christ and his neighbor, emphasizes this message: “He (Christ) laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our souls for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). While all who aim to follow Christ’s example are called to this love, it is particularly essential for those entrusted with shepherding His flock. They must be the first to take a stand for their sheep when danger approaches in the form of wolves seeking to disrupt and scatter Christ’s flock; they should confront and repel these threats — even to the point of sacrificing their own lives, unlike the hirelings who flee (see John 10:1-16)."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The second commandment is dependent on the first: love your neighbor as you love yourself. Treat him with kindness and do everything good for him that you would wish for yourself, and refrain from causing any harm, just as you would avoid harm to yourself. As diligently as you seek your own well-being, so too should you seek the well-being of your neighbor. There is no commandment more important than these."},{"author-name":"Ignatij (Briantchaninow)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ce37597540c9caa5df5_Ignatij%20(Briantchaninow).png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":19,"exegesis-text":"What could be more wonderful or fulfilling than showing love to one's neighbor? To love is to experience joy; to hate is to know suffering. The essence of the law and the teachings of the prophets revolve around the love for God and for one’s neighbor (Matthew 22:40). Loving our neighbor is a journey that leads us closer to God because Christ, in a profound mystery, embodies each of our neighbors, and in Christ dwells God (1 John). Do not be misled, dear brother, into thinking that the command to love our neighbor is closely aligned with our fallen hearts; this command is spiritual, while fleshly nature has overtaken our hearts. The mandate is new, yet our hearts are old. Our natural inclination to love has been marred by the fall and must be crucified—this is the command of Christ. We need to cultivate a holy love for our neighbor as taught in the Gospel, love that emanates from Christ. The attributes of the new creation must be entirely fresh; nothing from the old self suffices. The love rooted in carnal desires has no value in the context of the Gospel. What worth is it when, in a moment of fervor, one vows to give their life for the Lord, only to declare ignorance of Him hours later (Matthew 26:33, 35, 74)? The Gospel dismisses love that relies on emotional turbulence, driven by the desires of the flesh and blood. The Gospel states, \\"Think not that I am come to bring peace on earth: I came not to bring peace but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law: and a man's foes shall be they of his own household\\" (Matthew 10:34-36). The fall has placed the heart under the rule of carnal desires and, through those desires, under the sway of worldly distractions. The Gospel liberates the heart from such bondage, guiding it through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit instructs us on how to love our neighbor in a sacred manner. This love, ignited and sustained by the Holy Spirit, is like a purifying fire that extinguishes the remnants of natural, carnal affection tainted by our sinful state. \\"He who claims that one can possess both types of love is deceiving himself,\\" St. John of the Ladder stated. How deeply our nature has fallen! One who can naturally love their neighbor fervently must exert extraordinary effort to love in accordance with the Gospel's teachings. The most passionate natural love can quickly deteriorate into revulsion and irreconcilable bitterness (2 Kings 13:15). This natural love can even manifest through violence. The wounds of our carnal desires are many. Addiction to this love brings a grievous affliction; a heart enslaved by such addictions is capable of every wrongdoing just to satisfy its tortured love. \\"A false balance is an abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is His delight\\" (Proverbs 11:1). Natural love provides only for earthly matters and gives no thought to the eternal; it stands at odds with Heaven and the Holy Spirit, for the Spirit calls us to crucify the flesh. This love opposes Heaven and the Holy Spirit because it is subject to the evil spirit—a spirit of impurity and decay.\\n\\nLet us turn to the Gospel, dear brother; let us examine ourselves through this reflection! As we do so, we must shed the old garments brought about by the fall and don the new attire God has prepared. This new garment is Christ. \\"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ\\" (Galatians 3:27). The new attire represents the Holy Spirit. \\"And behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high\\" (Luke 24:49)—the Lord spoke of this clothing. Christians are to be adorned with the qualities of Christ, achieved through the work of the benevolent Spirit. A Christian can indeed be clothed. \\"But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof\\" (Romans 13:14), states the Apostle. First, in alignment with the gospel, one should cast away hostility, wickedness, wrath, judgment, and everything that directly opposes love. The Gospel urges us to pray for our enemies, bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and forgive our neighbors regardless of their actions toward us. Strive, you who wish to follow Christ, to fulfill these commands through your actions. It is insufficient to merely enjoy reading the precepts of the Gospel and admire their high ethical standards. Sadly, many find contentment in this alone. Upon beginning to live by the Gospel’s precepts, the entities ruling your heart will resist this endeavor. These rulers include your own carnal nature, which relies on flesh and blood, as well as fallen spirits that prey on humanity’s weaknesses. The wisdom of the flesh will insist that you defend your pride and all the temporary benefits you possess. Yet you must resist this invisible battle courageously, inspired by the gospel and led by the Lord Himself. Be prepared to sacrifice everything for the fulfilment of the Gospel’s commands. Without such sacrifice, you cannot genuinely adhere to them. The Lord instructed His disciples, \\"If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself\\" (Matthew 16:24). When the Lord is by your side, hold onto hope for victory: the Lord can only triumph. Seek victory from Him, appealing to Him through persistent prayer and earnest supplication. In those moments, the work of grace will transform your heart, filling you with a profound spiritual love for your enemies. There will still be challenges ahead! You will still need to stand firm! Reflect on the objects of your affection: do you feel strongly toward them? Is your heart deeply entwined with them? Let them go. The Lord, the source of true love, asks you to renounce this attachment not to deprive you of love, but so that, freed from fleshly love tainted by sin, you may become receptive to divine, pure, and holy love—the ultimate joy. One who has experienced spiritual love will regard carnal love as a distasteful distortion of true affection. How can we detach from those who are dear to our hearts? - Bring your concerns before God: \\"They, Lord, are Yours, but who am I? A fragile being of little worth.\\" \\"Today, I may still roam the earth, possibly aiding my loved ones; but tomorrow, I could vanish, rendering myself insignificant to them!\\" \\"Whether I desire it or not, death will come, and circumstances will unyieldingly separate me from those I believed to be mine, and they will cease to be mine. They were never truly mine; there merely existed a connection between us, and in my misjudgment, I claimed them as mine. Had they indeed belonged to me, they would remain mine forever.\\" \\"All beings belong to one Creator: He is their God and Sovereign. To You, my Lord, I return them: claiming them for myself was misguided and fruitless.\\" It is just and right for them to belong to God. God is eternal, omnipresent, omnipotent, and infinitely good. For those who are His, He is the most loyal and dependable Advocate. God bestows His own upon humanity: and for a time, man may claim others as his own in the flesh, but spiritually, he retains them forever, should God choose to grant this gift. Genuine love of neighbor is rooted in faith in God; it exists in God. \\"That they all may be one,\\" the Savior proclaimed to the Father, \\"as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us\\" (John 17:21). Humility and devotion to God extinguish carnal love, which thrives in pride and disbelief. Engage in beneficial acts for your loved ones within the bounds of the law, but always entrust them to God; as you do so, your blind, carnal love will gradually transform into spiritual, rational, and holy love. However, if your attachment is rooted in unlawful passion, reject it as detestable. If your heart is bound, it indicates favoritism. When your heart is held captive, it signifies a destructive, sinful passion. Holy love is pure, liberated, and entirely centered in God. It manifests through the Holy Spirit as the heart is cleansed. By renouncing hostility, passions, and carnal affection, you will embrace spiritual love; \\"Depart from evil, and do good\\" (Psalm 33:15). Honor your neighbor as the very image of God—honor them in your soul, unseen by others but visible only to your conscience. Let your actions align mysteriously with your spiritual disposition. Honor every neighbor, regardless of age, gender, or status, and gradually holy love will flourish within your heart. The source of this divine love is not the flesh, nor the allure of the senses, but God Himself. Those who may lack the recognition of Christianity are not deprived of the inherent glory bestowed upon them in creation; they retain the image of God. If the divine image finds itself cast into the harrowing flames of hell, I must still honor it. What do I care for flames or for hell? The judgment of God casts the image there, and it is incumbent upon me to maintain reverence towards it, thus safeguarding myself from damnation. I must honor the blind, the leprous, the mentally impaired, the infant, the criminal, and the pagan; regardless of their shortcomings and vulnerabilities, we should concern ourselves with ensuring we do not lack love ourselves. As a Christian, show reverence to Christ, who for our edification declared, and will continue to declare when judging our eternal destiny, \\"In as much as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me\\" (Matthew 25:40). Uphold this Gospel teaching in how you treat your neighbors, and you will cultivate a small but meaningful love for your neighbor. This care for your neighbor is a manifestation of your love for God. If you believe you love God, yet harbor negative feelings toward another, then you are indulging in self-deception. \\"If anyone says,\\" the Apostle John writes, \\"I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar... This commandment we have from Him, that he who loves God must also love his brother\\" (1 John 4:20-21). The expression of spiritual love towards one’s neighbor signifies the renewal of the soul by the Holy Spirit: \\"We know,\\" the Apostle asserts, \\"that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren: he that loveth not his brother abideth in death\\" (1 John 3:14). The fulfillment of Christianity lies in perfect love for one’s neighbor. This perfect love for neighbor is anchored in love for God, which knows no limit and is never perfected, for it knows no boundaries in excellence. Achieving in love for God has no end: for God is love itself (1 John 4:16). Love for neighbor serves as the foundation for the structure of love. Dear brother! Strive to uncover within yourself a spiritual love for your neighbor; as you do, you will enter into love for God, stepping through the gates of resurrection and into the kingdom of Heaven. Amen."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The second commandment is akin to the first in significance. The directive to \\"love your neighbor\\" is rooted in Leviticus (Lev. 19:18). This form of love involves treating your neighbor with kindness, as you would wish for yourself, and avoiding any actions that would bring them harm or distress. The reason it is considered \\"like\\" is that this second command acts as a precursor to the first and is interdependent with it. Those who demonstrate love towards their neighbor fulfill all the commandments, and in turn, by observing the commandments, they express their love for God. These two commandments are intertwined, upheld, and encompassed by all the other commandments."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"God calls us not only to love Him but also to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18; Mk. 12:31), which is the second commandment. A person who loves their neighbor as themselves acts in ways that reflect how they would wish to be treated; this means assisting them in times of need, offering comfort in their sorrow, and striving to eliminate any harm they might face. In essence, this substantial love for one’s neighbor will guide a compassionate heart in discerning what actions to take on their behalf.\\n\\nIf we are instructed by God to love our neighbor as ourselves, it implies that self-love is not inherently sinful. However, this self-love must not evolve into a form of self-worship or idolatry. Our love for God must always take precedence over our love for ourselves and others, which necessitates a willingness to fulfill His will—even when it requires self-denial or forgoing our own desires. While it is true that fallen humanity often prefers self-love over love for others, and even above love for God, such a misplaced priority is a serious transgression. Freeing ourselves from this type of self-love is challenging without divine assistance. Self-love should not overshadow our love for others; it is permissible to love oneself, provided that such love is balanced with love for neighbors. Only then does self-love remain virtuous rather than sinful."}]}
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