XXI. Любовь к ближнему

“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). “So in everything, whatever you want people to do to you, do so to them, for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31). “Give to everyone who asks you” (Luke 6:30). “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, let 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). “Love one another continually with a sincere heart” (1 Peter 1:22). “Finally, be all of one mind, compassionate, brotherly, merciful, friendly, humble in wisdom; Do not repay evil for evil or insult for insult; on the contrary, bless, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Pet. 3:8-9). “Above all, have fervent love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet. 4:8). “Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no offense in him” (1 John 2:10). “But he who hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes” (1 John 2:11). “He who does not love his brother remains in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:14–15). “We know love in this, that He laid down His life for us: and we must lay down our lives for our brothers. And whoever has wealth in the world, but, seeing his brother in need, closes his heart from him - how does the love of God abide in him? My children, let us love not in word or tongue, but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:16–18). “Beloved! let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love has not known God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7, 8). “No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, then God abides in us, and His love is perfect in us” (1 John 4:12). “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16). “Do not owe anyone anything except mutual love; For he who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Rom. 13:8). “Love does not harm one’s neighbor” (Rom. 13:10). “Love is long-suffering, it is kind, love does not envy, love does not boast, is not proud, does not act rudely, does not seek its own, is not irritated, does not think evil, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails” (1 Cor. 13:4–8). “Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:32). “Encourage one another and edify one another” (1 Thess. 5:11). “We also beseech you, brethren, admonish the disorderly, comfort the faint-hearted, support the weak, be patient with everyone” (1 Thess. 5:14). “Let brotherly love remain among you. Do not forget your love of hospitability, for through it some, unknowingly, showed hospitality to angels” (Heb. 13:1-2). Love for one's neighbor is the root and union of many virtues (Book 3 against detractors of monastic life). True love represents your neighbor as yourself, and teaches you to rejoice in his well-being, and not otherwise than your own, and to regret his misfortune as if it were your own. Love makes many into one body, and makes their souls the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, for in those united by love the spirit of the world always rests. Love makes every person a companion of good (The Word of Perfect Love). The love that exists for the sake of Christ is so strong, constant and invincible that nothing can destroy it, neither slander, nor danger, nor death, which is why the Apostle Paul says: “Love never fails” (1 Cor. 13:8) (Conversation 60 on the Evangelist Matthew). Love must also be shown to the unworthy (Conversation 32). Love is greater than all sacrifices, and God does not accept any sacrifice without love (Conversation 16). Tears and sadness of love are more pleasant than any laughter and joy, for those who laugh are not so calm as those who cry for others (Conversation 33 on 1 Corinthians). Love for one's neighbor is better than gifts, for without love all gifts do not bring any benefit to those who have them (Conversation 32). If everyone in the world loved each other mutually, then there would be no need for laws, courts, executions, or anything like that, because then everyone would be so removed from evil that the very name of sin would be unknown (Conversation 32). There is not a single sin so strong that the power of love could not destroy. Rather, a dry branch can resist the great fire than a sinful nature can resist the power of love (Conversation 4 on 1 Epistle to the Thessalonians). True love, which happens for the sake of God, requires that we love everyone in general; and if we love one, but do not love the other, this is friendship for the sake of a person (Ibid.). If we were all true friends, then we would not need secrets at all, for just as everyone has nothing secret for himself and cannot hide anything from himself, neither does he hide anything from his friends; all mysteries arose in us from the lack of love (Conversation 9 on the Epistle to the Ephesians). The soul, strengthened by the weapon of love, is always safe, and is not afraid of the fiery arrows of the devil (Conversation 9 on 1 Corinthians). Faith and love are an inseparable pair (vol. 2, p. 16). Without love, everything, even good deeds, are vain (vol. 2, p. 383). Discourse on love for one's neighbor From love for God will follow love for one’s neighbor, that is, for every person, for whoever loves God will certainly love his neighbor. The fruits of Christian love, according to the teachings of the apostle (see 1 Cor. 13): The first fruit is longsuffering: “Love is patient.” He who loves his neighbor does not take revenge for an insult, but endures everything with meekness and kindness; moreover, he prays for those who create misfortune, saying with the first martyr: “Lord! Do not count this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). The Apostle James also calls for this: “Be patient... brethren... until the coming of the Lord” (James 5:7). And the holy Apostle Paul: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21). Second: “Love... is merciful.” Seeing the misfortune of his neighbor, he sympathizes with him, and as he imputes his own: he sympathizes with the suffering, sympathizes with the sick, cries with those who cry, laments with those who mourn and tries to console; He does not spare himself in order to help his neighbor in trouble, and considers his poverty to be his own poverty. Christ calls for this: “be merciful” (Luke 6:36), and the holy Apostle Paul also teaches: “weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15). Third: “love does not envy.” Just as one regrets the misfortune of one’s neighbor, so one rejoices over the well-being; He considers his happiness and unhappiness as his own. Therefore, the Apostle exhorts: “Rejoice with those who rejoice” (Rom. 12:15). Fourth: “love is not exalted, it is not proud,” it does not consider itself higher than others, but (considers) itself lower than others, and so it humbles itself before everyone, is obedient to everyone, submissive, polite to everyone, condescending, always condemns itself and not others; reproaches himself, humiliates himself, and not others. This is what the apostle teaches: “warn one another in respect” (Rom. 12:10). Fifth: “love... does not act outrageously, as the hard-hearted and rebellious do, but is favorable to everyone; both externally and internally she is even more quiet, meek, and constant! Sixth: “love... does not seek its own.” She does good to her neighbor without any benefit of her own; to do charity is her joy and joy; in this she is likened to her Creator, who commands his sun to shine for the good of everyone and unselfishly sends rain on everyone (Matthew 5:45). The Apostle exhorts: “Seek no one his own, but each one the benefit of another” (1 Cor. 10:24). Thus, a good boss does not seek his own benefit, but his subordinates; So the shepherd does not spare health for the common good; So a good warrior does not spare himself for the benefit of the fatherland. Seventh: “love... is not irritated,” that is, it does not allow anger to flare up and does not open its mouth to curse and reproach one’s neighbor. Eighth: “love... does not rejoice in unrighteousness,” but grieves when one’s neighbor is hurt and violated. Ninth: “rejoices... in the truth” when he sees that everything is in order and in good condition. Tenth: “love loves all, good and evil,” in which he is likened to the Heavenly Father, who “commands His sun to rise on the evil and the good” (Matthew 5:45). Eleventh: “love... believes everything.” Just as she herself acts sincerely towards everyone and does not flatter anyone, so she thinks about others and therefore believes everyone. Twelfth: “Love never ceases,” it cannot cease; in this age it begins, and in the future it will be completed. The opposite of love is hatred, from which everything opposite comes. Reasons why we should love our neighbor First. Our neighbor is our brother, he is a servant of God, created in the image of God, redeemed by the Blood of Christ, one of the members of the one Church, called to eternal life. Second. He who loves “abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16). A great thing is union with God. Third. He who loves is a disciple of Christ (John 13:34–35). Fourth. Other talents, such as: speaking many languages, performing miracles, etc., “without love there is nothing” (1 Cor. 13:2). “Without love,” says Saint John Chrysostom, “all gifts are of no use to those who have them” (Conversation 22 on 1 Corinthians). Fifth. And he cannot love God who does not love his brother (1 John 4:20). “Love is greater than all sacrifices, and God does not accept any sacrifices without love,” says Saint John Chrysostom (Discourse 16 on the Evangelist Matthew). Sixth. “Whoever loves his brother abides in the light” (1 John 2:10). Seventh. “Whoever hates his brother is in darkness, and... remains in death... and is a murderer” (1 John 2:11, 3:14–15). Eighth. Love is a foretaste of eternal life, in which there will be only love for each other, joy and consolation about each other. Ninth. The greater and purer the love in someone, the more he becomes like God, Who is eternal love and goodness. Tenth. The common well-being of all comes from mutual love. Oh, how prosperously everyone would live if they loved each other mutually! Then there would be no theft, robbery, theft, murder, violence, deception, wickedness, reproach, slander, slander, slander, ridicule, curses; Barns would not be fortified to preserve property, watchmen would not be required, locks would not be needed; there would not be so many people crying and shedding bloody tears; the plaintive voices of crying widows, orphans, poor and defenseless people would not be heard to the sky; the courts would not be burdened with complaints; the hungry would not wander the streets, the half-naked little brothers of Christ would not shake from the cold and frost; the dungeons would not be filled with prisoners imprisoned for debt; Finally, there would be no beggars and wretches, but everything would be safe, calm, peaceful: everyone would be equal. For this reason, the Lord God, fatherly pitying the human race, gave the commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). Oh love, love, union of perfection. Love! How many blessings we are deprived of when we don’t have you!.. With you everything is good and prosperous, but without you everything is bad and unprosperous. You might be interested in: