the law of love.

there is, perhaps, no principle of conduct that jesus emphasized more in his teachings than the law of brotherly love. as we have already learned, the first great commandment requires that we love god; and the second requires that we love our neighbor as ourselves. it is not enough, then, that we withhold judgment and condemnation; nor that we do unto others—even unto our enemies—as we would have others do unto us. we must forget self; bury self, as it were; and cultivate for others a real affection—such an affection as god has for us, for god is love. the reward of such a god-like love of our fellowmen is beautifully expressed in a poem—oft but never too often quoted—written by the english poet leigh hunt.

the reward of brotherly love.

"abou ben adhem (may his tribe increase)

awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,

and saw, within the moonlight in his room,

making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,

an angel writing in a book of gold:—

exceeding peace had made ben adhem bold,

and to the presence in the room he said,

'what writest thou?'—the vision rais'd its head,

and with a look made of all sweet accord,

answered, the names of those who love the

lord.'

'and is mine one?' said abou. 'nay, not so,'

replied the angel. abou spoke more low,

but cheery still; and said, 'i pray thee then.

write me as one that loves his fellow-men.'

the angel wrote and vanish'd. the next night

it came again with a great wakening light,

and show'd the names whom love of god had

bless'd

and lo! ben adhem's name led all the rest."

{222} questions of the tempting lawyer.

there came a lawyer to jesus one day and asked him what to do to inherit eternal life. jesus, knowing that the lawyer came only to make trial of him, answered, "what is written in the law? how readest thou?" the lawyer—who knew well the law—was forced then to reply, "thou shalt love the lord thy god with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind: and thy neighbour as thyself."

"thou hast answered right," said jesus: "this do and thou shalt live."

but the lawyer was not satisfied; and desiring further to justify himself, he asked, "and who is my neighbour?"

the parable of the good samaritan.

"and jesus answering said, a certain man went down from jerusalem to jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of all his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. and by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. and likewise a levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. but a certain samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. and on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when i come again, i will repay thee.

{223} "which now of these three thinkest thou," asked jesus, "was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?"

the lawyer answered, "he that shewed mercy on him."

"then said jesus unto him. go, and do thou likewise."

a discussion.

the priest, who was the specially appointed servant of god among his people, and the levite, who was closely associated with the priest in his ecclesiastical duties, ought to have had compassion upon the unfortunate traveller. it is to be assumed that he was a jew. he was therefore of the chosen people. he might lay claim to the services of the priest and the levite who officiated in the temple of his god. moreover, these men above all others should have known the passage quoted by the lawyer in answer to jesus's question, "what is written in the law?"—a passage repeated by every jew in each morning and evening prayer. but these men had seen only the letter of the law; they had never felt the spirit of it. at the most, the love of neighbor meant only the jewish interpretation of the passage, "thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." of the broad interpretation placed by jesus on the meaning of the word "neighbor," these men of the temple service knew nothing.

the real neighbor.

the samaritan however who was an outcast in the eyes of the jew, for whom god himself could hold no love; an apostate and a degenerate from the rich blood of israel as unclean in {224} the opinion of the orthodox jew as the loathsome leper—the samaritan felt the thrill of the spirit of the great commandment "thou shalt love thy neighour as thyself." he manifested that divine love—and that to one from whom he was an alien—which jesus enjoined when he said, "be ye therefore perfect, even as your father in heaven is perfect."

the fulness of the answer.

jesus could not have answered the lawyer more completely; neither could he have silenced more quickly the man who came to make trial of him. the story of tender love and sympathy was of such compelling nature that the lawyer himself was forced to admit that the good samaritan was the real neighbor. and that conclusion forced upon the lawyer the plain answer to his question, "who is my neighbor" why, he is my neighbor whom it is within my power to help, no matter what may be his creed, or his nationality, or his color. there was no room here for the splitting of hairs. the lawyer was used to the refined arguments of the learned rabbis as to the meaning of the word neighbor. here it was plainly set forth in a simple little story. there was no more to say.

the lesson clinched.

but as he concluded his story, and received the lawyer's answer, jesus drove home the lesson. "go," said he, "and do thou likewise." it was as if he had reverted to the opening question, "master, what shall i do to inherit eternal life?" if you would inherit eternal life love your neighbor as yourself; consider him your neighbor whom you can help; hold no class distinction; despise no man for his creed or his color; but hold yourself always in {225} readiness to do good, to serve, and to help those who need your help. remember the good samaritan. do not pass by on the other side, but show your love in deeds of love. then shall you inherit eternal life.

the command renewed.

the savior's law of love is a principle of divine beauty. and so important is it in the gospel plan of salvation, that it has been specially renewed in our own dispensation. said jesus to joseph smith, "thou shalt love the lord thy god with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of jesus christ thou shalt serve him.

"thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

"every man (shall seek) the interest of his neighbor and (do) all things with an eye single to the glory of god."

the references

luke 10:25-37. doc. and cov. 59:5, 6.

lev. 19:18. doc. and cov. 82:19.

the questions

1. what more must men do besides withholding judgment and observing the golden rule?

2. explain the lesson of abou ben adhem.

3. what did the lawyer seek of jesus?

4. what conclusion was forced, upon the lawyer by the story of the good samaritan?

5. how was this story a complete answer?

6. why did it silence further questioning?

7. what does jesus's admonition, "go, and do thou likewise," imply?

8. how do these commandments affect us in the dispensation of the fulness of times?