What Does Matthew 22:39 Mean?
Matthew 22:39 describes Jesus giving a simple but powerful command: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' This comes right after He states the greatest commandment - to love God with all your heart. He says this second command is similar to the first, showing that loving others directly reflects loving God.
Matthew 22:39
And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Key Facts
Book
Author
Matthew
Genre
Gospel
Date
circa 80-90 AD
Key Takeaways
- Loving others is a direct reflection of loving God.
- True faith shows in daily love, not just rituals.
- All God's commands rest on love for Him and others.
Context and Meaning of Matthew 22:39
Jesus gives the command to love your neighbor as yourself in response to a religious leader testing Him with a question about the greatest command in the Law.
This happens right after Jesus silences the Sadducees with His teaching on the resurrection, and now the Pharisees regroup to challenge Him again. One of their experts asks which commandment is the most important, setting the stage for Jesus’ powerful reply.
He first quotes Deuteronomy 6:5 - 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind' - and then adds the second, from Leviticus 19:18: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' He says all of the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands, linking love for God and love for others as inseparable.
The Connection Between Loving God and Neighbor
This command to love your neighbor isn't an afterthought - it's deeply tied to the first command to love God, showing that real love for God shows up in how we treat others.
Jesus quotes Leviticus 19:18 - 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself' - a verse originally given in the context of Israel's community life, where people were told not to seek revenge or hold grudges, but to treat others, including foreigners, with fairness and care. By connecting this command to the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:5), which every Jewish person recited daily, Jesus elevates love for neighbor from a moral rule to a spiritual act - equally central to faith as loving God. In doing so, He shows that worship involves real, daily kindness and justice toward others, not merely rituals or beliefs.
Jesus links love for God and love for others as inseparable - how we treat people reflects how we truly love God.
This pairing of commands appears in other Gospels (like Mark 12:31), but Matthew’s version emphasizes that all the Law and the Prophets 'depend' on these two - meaning they’re the foundation for everything God wants from us.
Loving Others as Ourselves: A Practical Command for Daily Life
This command to love your neighbor as yourself isn't meant to stay in the abstract - it's meant to shape how we actually live each day.
Jesus makes it clear that loving others is not optional or secondary - it's built into the very heart of what it means to follow God. When we care for someone in need, forgive someone who hurt us, or show kindness to a stranger, we are living out our faith in real ways, not simply performing a good deed.
How we treat others isn't just about being nice - it's a direct reflection of our love for God.
Matthew’s Gospel often highlights how true faith shows up in action (like in the final judgment scene in Matthew 25:31-46, where people are judged based on whether they fed the hungry, welcomed strangers, and visited the sick), and this command fits perfectly with that theme.
How Jesus Fulfills the Law: Love as the Heart of God's Plan
This command to love your neighbor isn’t new with Jesus - it’s the fulfillment of what God had been pointing to all through the Law and the Prophets.
Jesus quotes Leviticus 19:18 - 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself' - a command originally given to Israel as part of their covenant life. Later, in Mark 12:31, He repeats it, saying 'There is no commandment greater than these,' and Paul echoes it in Romans 13:9, writing, 'The commandments… are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”'
Jesus doesn’t cancel the Old Testament rules - He shows that love for God and others was the goal all along.
This verse is the key that unlocks the whole Bible’s message: God has always wanted hearts that love, not merely religious performance.
Application
How This Changes Everything: Real Life Impact
It’s easy to think we’re doing okay spiritually because we pray, go to church, or avoid big sins. But this command hits close to home. What if our love for God means nothing if we’re impatient with our spouse, quick to judge a coworker, or ignore the lonely person at school? Jesus ties our relationship with Him directly to how we treat others - even the difficult ones. When we choose to listen instead of react, to help without expecting anything back, or to forgive someone who doesn’t deserve it, we are demonstrating a deeper commitment than simply being nice. We’re living out the very heart of what God requires. It’s not always easy, but it brings a deep sense of purpose - knowing our everyday actions actually reflect God’s love in a broken world.
Personal Reflection
- When was the last time I treated someone poorly - maybe a family member or stranger - and realized it reflected how I’m loving God, rather than being merely a bad moment?
- Am I reserving my kindness only for people I like, or am I actively looking for ways to show love to those who are different or hard to love?
- If someone judged my faith only by how I treat others this week, what would they conclude about my relationship with God?
A Challenge For You
This week, do one kind thing for someone you usually overlook - a neighbor, a service worker, or someone you’ve had tension with. Do not do it for recognition. Do it as an act of love that flows from your love for God. Also, when you feel irritation or judgment rising toward someone, pause and ask God to help you see them as He does.
A Prayer of Response
God, I admit it’s easier to say I love You than to love the people around me - especially the ones who are hard to love. Thank You for showing me that how I treat others matters deeply to You. Help me to see my neighbor not as a bother or a stranger, but as someone You love. Give me Your eyes and Your heart, so my love for others becomes a true reflection of my love for You. Amen.
Related Scriptures & Concepts
Immediate Context
Matthew 22:37-38
Jesus states the greatest commandment - to love God completely - setting the foundation for the second command to love neighbor.
Matthew 22:40
Jesus concludes that all the Law and Prophets depend on these two commands, showing their unifying power.
Connections Across Scripture
Leviticus 19:18
The original command to love neighbor is given in Israel’s holiness code, showing God’s long-standing heart for relational justice.
Mark 12:31
Jesus reiterates the command in another Gospel, confirming its universal importance in discipleship and kingdom living.
Romans 13:9
Paul echoes Jesus by declaring that love fulfills the Law, connecting ethical behavior to gospel-centered transformation.
Glossary
figures
Jesus
The Son of God who fulfills the Law by revealing love as its deepest requirement.
Pharisees
Religious leaders who tested Jesus but were challenged by His redefinition of true obedience.
Sadducees
A Jewish sect denying resurrection, silenced by Jesus before the lawyer’s question about the greatest commandment.