Devotional Guide, Today’s Reading Thursday, August 8, 2019

Theme: DEMANDS OF TRUE DISCIPLESHIP

Text: “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” – Matthew 22:39.

Comment: A neighbor is not just a person that lives next door to one but a person in need of our help.  Such persons should be helped the same way we would have wanted done to us if we were in a similar situation.

 

In a dialogue with a certain lawyer concerning loving one’s neighbour as oneself, Jesus Christ used the story of “The Good Samaritan” who helped the injured traveller to illustrate who truly is one’s neighbour. (Luke 10:25-37)  One striking lesson from the story is the expression of love for one’s neighbour by helping a fellow human being in need whether that person is known to one or not. Jesus Christ admonished that we should not hold back from showing love even to persons who may not have treated us well in the past when he said: “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” – Matthew 5:43-45.

 

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