LOVE thy neighbour.” Perhaps he rolls in riches and thou art poor, and living in thy little cot side-by-side with his lordly mansion; thou seest every day his estates, his fine linen and sumptuous banquets. God has given him these gifts, covet not his wealth, and think no hard thoughts concerning him. Be content with thine own lot, if thou canst not better it, but do not look upon thy neighbour and wish he were thyself. Love him and then thou wilt not envy him.
Mayhap, on the other hand, thou art rich and near thee resides the poor. Do not scorn to call them neighbours. Own that thou art bound to love. The world calls them thy inferiors. In what are they thy inferiors? They are far more thine equals than thine inferiors, for “God hath made of one blood all people that dwell upon the face of the earth.” It is thy coat which is better than their’s, but thou art by no means better than they. They are men, and what art thou more than that? Take heed that thou love thy neighbour even though he be in rags, or sunken in the depths of sin and poverty.
But perhaps you say, “I cannot love my neighbours, because for all that I do they return ingratitude and contempt.” So much the more room for the heroism of love. Wouldest thou be a feather-bed warrior, instead of bearing the rough fight of love? He who dares the most shall win the most; and if rough be thy path of love, tread it boldly, still loving thy neighbours through thick and thin. Heap coals of fire on their heads, and if they be hard to please, seek not to please them, but to please thy Master; and remember if they spurn thy love, thy Master hath not spurned it, and thy deed is as acceptable to Him as if it had been acceptable to them. Love thy neighbour, for in so doing thou art following in the footsteps of Christ.”—C. H. SPURGEON.
Believe Christ’s love more than your own feelings; your Rock does not ebb and flow though your sea does.—Samuel Rutherford.