July 30, 2019
READING TIME: 30-60 SECONDS
David, in Matthew 22:37-39, should we love ourselves before we love others?
What Jesus was saying is that we should love others in the same way we want to be loved— in the same way, we want to be thought of and taken care of. It’s natural for people to love themselves in sometimes a self-centered way. Because we love ourselves, we want the best for ourselves; in the same way, we should be concerned about the welfare of others. Earlier in Matthew Jesus said, “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12). See Ephesians 5:28-29; Philippians 2:1-4.
In essence, love is making the security, happiness, and welfare of another person as important as your own.
Source Used
McDowell, Josh; McDowell, Sean. The Bible Handbook of Difficult Verses (The McDowell Apologetics Library). Harvest House Publishers.
Nelson, Thomas. NKJV, The NKJV Study Bible, eBook: Second Edition. Thomas Nelson.