Thoughts from the Grist

(this is part two in a series. Please see previous articles below. Check back for further interactions)

This statement by Jesus is used in the New Testament three times. In all three cases (Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8) the context is completely committed to pointing out the evil of self-centeredness and selfishness. Jesus statements are never used to explain how one is to love themselves. Quite to the contrary, it is always used to explain how one is to love his neighbor.

So, what exactly does Jesus mean when He says one is to “Love your neighbor as yourself?” In the Matthew and Mark passages there is very explanation of its meaning so the student will have to look elsewhere. That Jesus quoted from Leviticus 19:18 is without doubt and so should be the first place for investigation. In examining the text itself we discover that there is nothing more to shed on the subject. However, when looking at the context it becomes evident in the verses that precede that God has something specific He wants to teach. The preceding verses are a long laundry list of “thou shalt not’s” and concludes with how one must live. It is important to notice that the entire list of “not’s” is about how to treat others. It is the natural reading of the text to understand that the concluding remark would also be others oriented. This pattern has already been seen above in the other three passages.

So, the teaching of Jesus must not be seen as teaching one must love themselves as that is missing in the teaching as well as the extra uses of the statement. To the contrary, when one understands the greater teaching found throughout the Scripture the teaching becomes evident. One of the great themes running throughout the Scriptures is that man has a “hard wired” desire for himself. Pursuit of self pleasure, pursuit of happiness, pursuit of fulfillment, pursuit of contentment, pursuit of purpose, etc. The problem is not in these by themselves. The problem is in the pursuit of these apart from God. That is, by it’s very definition, a love of self. Yet the question must be asked; do the Scriptures teach this?

The answer is resoundingly yes.

 (more in upcoming installments)

Tags: commandment, counseling, depression, esteem, guilt, love, neighbor, Self

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