In his most known Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said to his hearers, “So, in everything do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). In this, Jesus commanded something very revolutionary. He asked his followers to treat all people with love, respect and dignity. Irrespective of who the others are, Jesus asked people to love others. This is the most highly claimed interpersonal relationship. So, this is often The golden rulecalled by Christian theology teachers as the Golden rule in Christianity. People are asked not to wait for love from others to return love to them; rather they are to initiate a good relationship. Formerly it was said by the Jewish Rabbis, “Do not do to others what you would not like to do to them.” But Jesus said that in a positive sense. People are to actively pursue the way of true love. There are several places in the Holy Bible where this Golden Rule is echoed.

Jesus commanded those who wished to follow him to selflessly love others, even enemies. In the Gospel recorded by Saint Luke, we have these words of Jesus, “. . . But I tell you who hear me, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  If someone strikes you on one cheek turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him to take your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone asks what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners’ expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.”

Again in the Gospel recorded by Saint Matthew, we find Jesus asking people, “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 19:19). Matthew recorded in his Gospel once a Jewish religious leader came to Jesus and asked him, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and the greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Laws of the Prophets are summed up in these two commandments. If we truly love God, he gives us all strength to love the unlovable. So, what seems impossible can be possible with God’s love and empowerment. That is why at first we are to love God, and then we have all we need to love even our enemies. If we live in right relationship with God, we can live in right relationship with other people.

In the Gospel of John, in Chapter 15:1-16, we have Jesus talking to his disciples. Jesus commanded the disciples to love one another. This is how they can do great things and bear spiritual fruits for the good of all. We should remain in relationship with Christ, and thus with God. That is how we can receive divine power for doing good deeds and loving others and then doing what may seem to be impossible for us mundanely.

God is the source of all love. He is love. We listen to these words from 1 John 4:7-8: “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love”. “God is love’, repeats St. John in his Epistle to the believers in Christ, 1 John 4:16). To highlight the universal and the supreme importance of love in human society everywhere and in every situation, St. Paul, the greatest commentator of Christianity, exhorted us with these words that he wrote in his most quoted letter to the believers, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law (i.e. the Law given by God through the great Prophet Moses thousands of years ago).

In short, the commandments like “Do not commit adultery”, “Do not murder”, “Do not steal”, “Do not covet”—and whatever other commandments there may be— all are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” Love does not harm. Love does no harm to its neighbour. Therefore, love is the fulfilment of the law. Love is always and everywhere good. So, we are commanded in the scriptures, again, in the words of Paul: “Do not overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good” (Romans 12:21). But, do we love our neighbours; even do we know our neighbours? Above all else, this world of ours needs love!

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The writer is a Christian Theology teacher and Church leader