An Introduction to Christian Ethics

What Does It Mean to Love Your Neighbour?

Again the word used in this passage for loving your neighbour is "agape". The passage does not tell Christians to "like" or to "feel for" their neighbours. It means that Christians should be concerned for their neighbours and care for them as much as they care for themselves.

In Luke's Gospel (Luke chapter 10 verses 25 - 37), in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, it shows that your neighbour is anyone who is in need of your help, not just your friends or someone who lives close to you. In the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew chapter 5 verses 43 - 48, Christians are told to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them. Christian morality, then, will have to consider the needs of others.