Biblical love is informed by truth, infused with light, and invested with life. Remove truth and love has no backbone. It can’t be commanded or obeyed. It cannot function as a summary of the law. It loses its contours sculpted by God.

“And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matt. 22:39, NKJV)

“Love your neighbor” has become the go to green card to sanction just about everything under the sun. We find the card particularly played to trump (if you’ll excuse the term) whatever doubt might be cast on whether a particular behavior or questionable cause is legitimate, greenlighting even dubious conduct with the benediction of God.

After all, doesn’t the concept of loving our neighbor originate from His mouth (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 22:39)?

When evangelical cultural warriors weigh in on secular stances and agendas, they are merely playing a card that God Himself has placed at their disposal. We don’t want someone repressed or unfulfilled, do we? So we play the green card of love to pave the way, somehow championing love in the offing. We want to protect human rights, at least the ones that are in vogue to protect, don’t we? Play the card and the conversation moves to a whole new plane, now with God’s imprimatur.

But here’s the problem. While love for neighbor is part of God’s playbook, it holds a well-defined face value, and is governed by clearly stated rules.

The Law of Love

The Pharisees, religious leaders in Jesus’ day known for their meticulous keeping of God’s law but also for their manipulation of that law to suit their own purposes, approached Jesus with a question to test Him. Basically, it was trap. They were trying to trip Jesus up.

They asked Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” This question smacks of contentiousness, looking to back Jesus in a corner and provoke dispute and division.

Jesus, however, answers with the wherewithal of one who knows what’s going on and who truly understands the Law of God. In fact, He gives a fuller answer than the one being forced by the expert in the law (There are so many experts nowadays, aren’t there, who think the matter is settled simply by their use of that title?).

“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matt. 22:37–39).

In answer to the question of the great commandment in the law, Jesus points to love – love for God and love for neighbor.

The Value of Love

In response to the question, Jesus identified two commandments: love for God and love for neighbor. In fact, in His summary He makes the numbering clear. “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 22:40). Law and Prophets is shorthand for the entire Old Testament, which He has just boiled down to love.

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