Luther on Love

Galatians 5:14
All of Moses's teachings are summarized by a single sentence, love your neighbor as you love yourself.

Luther once wrote, "this statement is expressed in a beautiful and powerful way, 'love your neighbor as you love yourself'. No one will ever be able to show you a better, more certain, or more real way to love the other than to show you how you love yourself. But, there is no better object to whom you can direct love than your neighbor. And if you want to know how to love your neighbor and need a clear example of how to do it, just pay careful attention to how you love yourself. In times of need or danger we all want to be loved. In such moments we seek the advice, sources, and prayers of anyone, anywhere, at any time. We don't need a book to teach us or to show us how to love our neighbor. We already know how to love our neighbor, in that we already know how to love yourself. You are the best 'how to' book ever written on this subject, so if you need a teacher, just consult your heart! It will teach you that your neighbor should be loved the same way you love yourself. Remember, love is the highest virtue. It's not only prepared to serve with words, money, and possessions, but with the body and even life itself. It's not motivated by reward. It's not slowed down by any unworthiness all right or ingratitude of the neighbor. We should serve our neighbors out of love, just like a mother cherishes and cares for a child out of love."

I've always found it curious that of all the things Jesus said, this is the one we do not understand, or don't even agree with. And yet as He pointed out, what better way to talk about love than by talking about the way we love ourselves? No matter who we are, there are times in our lives we act out of love for ourselves. When we were children, we wanted what we wanted when we wanted it!. Then we're teenagers teenagers, and again we want what we want when we want it. As young adults we're also mostly self-focused, wanting the things that give us satisfaction and happiness in the moment.

But what does it mean to love yourself?

I think it means that we want what's best for ourselves, and after all who knows better what's best for us than us? If we were to make just half the effort we use during our lives to get what we want when we want it, and apply that to loving our neighbor, imagine what a different, even better, world this would be! This was what Jesus seems to be saying in this quote from Galatians, it's what Saint Paul believed as he shared these words , it's what Luther believed when he wrote his own words about it. It is what we still believe, love your neighbor like you love yourself. Oh and love the Lord your God with all your heart strength in mind! Because that's the only way you'll ever truly know what it means to love.