Love in action — "Go and do likewise" · The essentials of Christianity

In a minute

Jesus summed up the whole of God's law in two commandments: love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and "love your neighbour as yourself" (Mark 12:31, WEBBE). On the night before he died he gave his friends a "new commandment": "Just as I have loved you, you also love one another" (John 13:34, WEBBE).

For Christians, love is not first a feeling but a way of acting: patient, kind, generous, forgiving, and reaching beyond family and friends to strangers and even enemies. The New Testament's word for this is agapē, self-giving love, the love Christians believe God has shown them in Jesus.

What it is and how it's lived

Who is my neighbour? The Good Samaritan

A lawyer asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus asked him what the law said, and he answered with the two great commandments. "You have answered correctly," said Jesus. "Do this, and you will live." But the lawyer asked: "Who is my neighbour?" (Luke 10:28–29, WEBBE).

Jesus told a story. A man travelling from Jerusalem down to Jericho was attacked by robbers and left half dead. A priest came by and passed on the other side; so did a Levite. Then a Samaritan came, from a people whom many of Jesus' listeners regarded with suspicion. He "was moved with compassion, came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine" (Luke 10:33–34, WEBBE), took him to an inn and paid for his care.

Jesus asked which of the three had been a neighbour. The lawyer said: "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." (Luke 10:37, WEBBE)

The question changes. Not "who counts as my neighbour?", but "to whom can I be a neighbour?"

The least of these: Matthew 25

In a parable of the last judgement, Jesus says the King will welcome people into his kingdom because:

"for I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me." (Matthew 25:35–36, WEBBE)

Surprised, they ask when they ever did this. He answers: "Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." (Matthew 25:40, WEBBE)

The Church later drew from this list the seven corporal works of mercy: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, caring for the sick, visiting prisoners, and burying the dead.

Love in practice

Christians have founded hospitals, schools, hospices and almshouses across the centuries. In Britain today, churches run or host thousands of food banks, night shelters, debt-advice centres, toddler groups, lunch clubs and youth work, often alongside neighbours of other faiths and none. Many Christians give a set share of their income, some a tenth (a tithe), to their church and to charity.

Loving enemies

Jesus went further than any ethic of fairness: "But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you," (Matthew 5:44, WEBBE). Christians believe this is only possible with God's help, and see it in Jesus' prayer from the cross for those who crucified him.

Its inner meaning

Christians believe love of God and love of neighbour cannot be separated. The first letter of John says that whoever claims to love God but hates a brother or sister is not telling the truth, and urges: "let's not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth" (1 John 3:18, WEBBE).

In Matthew 25 Christ identifies himself with the hungry, the stranger and the prisoner. So Christians speak of meeting Christ in the face of anyone in need.

Key texts

"Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn't envy. Love doesn't brag, is not proud, doesn't behave itself inappropriately, doesn't seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn't rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things." (1 Corinthians 13:4–7, WEBBE — often read at weddings)

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34–35, WEBBE)

"He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8, WEBBE)

"Therefore, whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12, WEBBE — the "Golden Rule")

Greek (1 John 4:8): ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν — ho theos agapē estin, "God is love".

From the Christian tradition

St Basil the Great (4th century) preached that the bread you store up belongs to the hungry, and the coat in your wardrobe to the one who has none (paraphrased; Homily on Luke 12:18, "I will pull down my barns") .
St John Chrysostom urged his congregation not to honour Christ's body in church with silk while neglecting him outside, cold and naked (paraphrased; Homily 50 on Matthew) .

Common misunderstandings, answered gently

"Christian charity is just a way to convert people." Christian teaching is that help should be given freely, to everyone, without conditions. Most church social projects serve whoever comes, and many work together with other faith communities.
"'Love your neighbour' means only fellow Christians." The Good Samaritan was told precisely to break that idea: the hero is the outsider, and the neighbour is whoever needs help.
"Faith matters more than good works, so works don't matter." Christians debate how faith and works relate, but all agree that genuine faith shows itself in love. "Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself." (James 2:17, WEBBE)

Across the churches

All churches share the two commandments. Catholic social teaching speaks of the dignity of every person, the common good, and a preferential option for the poor. Orthodox Christians stress hospitality and almsgiving, especially in fasting seasons. Many Protestant traditions, from Quakers to Methodists and the Salvation Army, have a long history of social reform, prison visiting and work among the poor. Christians differ on politics and on the best means; this page does not take sides.

Reflection

Who is the "Samaritan" in your life: someone you might not expect to help you, or someone you might not expect to help?

In the other traditions

Judaism: "You shall love your neighbour as yourself" is first found in the Torah (Leviticus 19:18), and the Torah commands love of the stranger, because Israel too were strangers in Egypt (Leviticus 19:34); acts of loving-kindness (gemilut chasadim) and tzedakah are central duties.
Islam: Muslims give zakah and voluntary sadaqah, are commanded to be good to parents, kin, orphans, the needy, neighbours near and far, and the wayfarer, and the Prophet taught that none truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself (paraphrased; Sahih al-Bukhari 13).

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