Walking in the Light

The one who loves his brother resides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

1 John 2:10 (LEB)

When the Jewish religious leaders tried to trap Jesus with their question about the greatest commandment, He gave them two: the first is to love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself. Desperate to bring Jesus down and publicly humiliate Him, they did not understand the truth of these two commandments, especially the second. Perhaps they believed that no one could love their neighbor as themselves.

By loving one's neighbor as oneself, Jesus did not mean a love that went so far as self-forgetfulness. Rather, it meant wanting the good of one's neighbor and doing for them all that one would wish to receive from oneself, without expecting anything in return. Such love allows us to never be in conflict, of any kind, with our neighbor. Imagine if we all lived according to this principle; The world would not be as depraved as it is today. By loving our neighbor, we would not harm them, we would not steal from them, and we would do everything we could to ensure that everything goes well.

This is what John seeks to teach his listeners when he says that whoever loves their brother abides in the light. It would be like walking in God's path and living according to His will. Loving one's brother does not mean becoming emotionally attached to them. Rather, it means wanting their well-being, helping them in difficult times, forgiving them when they have offended us, and tolerating them when their behavior becomes unbearable. Jesus Himself set the example. Despite all that the Pharisees and Sadducees did to destroy Him, even though He knew it, His responses were always a way of guiding them on God's path. A simple act of love will allow you to feel God's light; do not hesitate to show it to your neighbor.

May the grace and peace of God be with you.