Certain Bible verses appear more than once for emphasis. Why is that? Probably because we didn’t get it the first time. So, we needed a reminder to understand the core of his teaching.
In the law book of the Old Testament, Leviticus told us to love our neighbor as ourselves (19:18). Jesus quoted this scripture again in the New Testament (Mark 12:31). The Lord added this reference as one of the two great commandments. The first is to love the Lord with all our hearts (Mark 12:30).
Why is this commandment worth repeating? Interestingly, this commandment is not one of the original ten in Exodus twenty. However, if we love the Lord with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves, the original ten are not necessary except for legalistic thinkers.
Loving the Lord includes loving our heavenly Father as well as loving our Savior, who lived an exemplary life for believers to emulate. Now the abiding Holy Spirit fills our hearts with genuine love. His abundant love will overflow from us to help others (Romans 5:5). The evidence of our love will reveal us loving one another (I Thessalonians 4:9).
Loving our neighbors, coworkers, relatives, and friends fulfills the law. “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10 NKJV).
If we practice loving others, our world will be different, and churches and families will coexist in peace.
Consider this: if the law of Leviticus commanded us to love one another, and the Lord of grace stated, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” Shouldn’t we do likewise? What would the world be if we only practiced that?
