“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).

We know that’s what God’s Word says, but how hard it is to put it into practice. So often instead of eagerly serving those around us we ask, “Who is my neighbor? (Luke 10:29) Who do I really need to love as myself?” Because of the way our fallen nature works, we see our neighbor’s value only as a means to justify ourselves. That leads to showing love for our neighbor only insofar as that love helps us look good in our own eyes and the eyes of others. Any neighbor we could be excused for not loving will be avoided.

But, Christ came to destroy our need for self-justification. Our need to justify ourselves has been eliminated by the justification God freely offers us at Christ’s cross—the greatest act of loving a neighbor ever. As a result we are freed to live lives of faith that seek to help our hurting neighbors—no matter the neighbor, no matter the need. We are free to help hurting neighbors in ways that seem senseless to this world—no matter the cost, no matter the distance, no matter the time. Lord, increase our faith that we might love our neighbors as you have so perfectly loved us!