What Does the Bible Say About Loving Your Neighbor?

What does the Bible say about loving your neighbor? God’s Word says we are to love our neighbor just like we do ourselves. But who is our neighbor? And how can we love them this way? Let’s dive into the Bible together, discovering what it says about loving those around us.

What’s Here:

• Who Is Your Neighbor?
• What Does the Bible Say About Loving Your Neighbor?
• How to Love Your Neighbor: 3 Examples

Who Is Your Neighbor?

When the Bible says “neighbor,” what does it mean? When you think of your neighbor, you might think of the couple that lives next door or maybe your coworker in the office next to you. Sure, they’re your neighbors. But the biblical definition of “neighbor” includes everyone.

Jesus Answers “Who Is My Neighbor?”

In Luke 10, an expert in the law asked Jesus what he could do to live forever. Jesus responded by asking the expert what the law says.

“What is written in the Law?” he [Jesus] replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” — Luke 10:26-27, NIV

The expert had answered correctly. To this Jesus replied, “Do this and you will live.” But the man wasn’t satisfied just yet. So, he asked another question: Who is my neighbor?

Jesus then told a story about a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho who was attacked brutally by robbers. They beat him and even took his clothes. Two men, one priest and one Levite, saw the man lying there in need but crossed to the other side of the road and passed by, leaving him to die.

It wasn’t until a Good Samaritan passed by that the man received help. The Good Samaritan picked him up, bandaged his wounds and took him to a nearby inn to care for him. When he finished telling the parable, Jesus asked the expert of the law one last question.

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” — Luke 10:36-37, NIV

The Good Samaritan didn’t know the hurting man personally, but he saw him as a fellow human in need of help. He saw him as a neighbor and acted in love for him.

Your neighbors are all those around you, those who call this earth home. It’s the person crossing the street. It’s the fellow parent dropping their kids at school. It’s the elderly man sitting across from you in church. It’s the child living in poverty on the other side of the world. And guess what — it’s even those you might consider your enemies.

What Does the Bible Say About Loving Your Neighbor?

The story of the Good Samaritan teaches us the importance of loving our neighbors. But the Bible doesn’t stop there. Many Bible verses throughout the Old and New Testaments speak about loving those around us.

All Scriptures written in NIV unless otherwise noted.

Leviticus 19:18

“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” 

Matthew 22:37-40

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Mark 12:31

The second is this: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these.

Romans 13:9-10

The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

James 2:8

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.

Romans 15:2

Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.

Luke 6:27-28

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

John 15:12

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

1 John 4:7

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

Colossians 3:12-14

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

How to Love Your Neighbor: 3 Examples

The Bible is clear: If you love your neighbor as yourself, you’re doing the right thing. But what does that mean? Matthew 7:12 (NIV) gives us a hint:

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

To love our neighbors well, we should treat them with the same love and care we desire for ourselves. Do you think that maybe the Good Samaritan took a moment to think, “What if this was me?” Maybe.

Take just a second to consider that for yourself. What if that hurting man was you? Would you want someone to stop and help? Absolutely! And this is what it means to love your neighbor: doing for them what you’d want done for you.

Now, let’s look at some examples of what loving your neighbor might look like in practice.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

One way to serve your neighbor is to take action to meet their needs. In Matthew 14, we find a large crowd following Jesus. When Jesus saw the large crowd, Scripture says he “had compassion on them and healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14, NIV).

But he didn’t stop there. As evening came, the disciples asked Jesus to send the crowds away so they could go into town and find something to eat. Still full of compassion for those in need, Jesus responded, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16, NIV).

All the disciples could find were five loaves of bread and two fish. It was far from enough for the thousands of people gathered. But Jesus saw their need and moved to fulfill it. After blessing the loaves and fish, he instructed the disciples to share the food with the crowd.

Miraculously, the entire crowd ate until they were satisfied. There were even leftovers! In this example, Jesus saw people in need of healing and sustenance. And seeing them as his neighbors, he felt compassion for them and did what he could to help.

Peter Shares the Good News of the Gospel

Another way to love your neighbor? Sharing the gospel with them! After all, the gospel can change their entire life. This was the case for many who listened to Peter share the good news in Acts 2.

In this chapter, thousands of people came to Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost. Peter, filled with boldness from the Holy Spirit, saw an incredible opportunity to share the good news of the gospel. Peter preached a powerful sermon, sharing what Jesus did for them all.

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know — this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” — Acts 2:22-24, ESV

After Peter finished speaking, those listening were “cut to the heart,” the Bible says. They then asked Peter what to do next. Peter responded, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38, NIV).

That day, 3,000 people came to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, changing their lives for eternity. Peter saw those lost around him and shared the truth of the gospel, helping thousands start a relationship with Jesus and have eternal life. Now that’s loving your neighbor.Want to learn how to share the good news too? Find simple steps and tips here: How to Tell Others About Jesus

A Local Church in Honduras Helps Children Grow Their Skills

At Compassion, we get to see followers of Jesus live out “love your neighbor as yourself” every day. For example, one local church in Honduras is helping children overcome poverty.

By simply holding vocational workshops, this local church is helping young people build confidence and gain new skills. Equipped with this knowledge, these young people are creating businesses that provide steady income to cover their daily needs.

Daniela, Daniel, Angelli and Kerlin live in an impoverished community in northern Honduras. Unfortunately, in this area, there aren’t many job opportunities. When children grow up, it’s hard to find work, making it nearly impossible for them to afford the basics, like food and shelter.

However, at the local Compassion center, the teens enjoy workshops in painting, barbering, screen printing and more. Through these vocational workshops, they learn hands-on skills and refine their talents, empowering them to make a living and support themselves and their families in the future.

This local church simply saw neighbors who needed a brighter future beyond poverty. And they’re actively doing what they can to fulfill that need.

“In a community gripped by gang violence, limited job opportunities for youths, and families surviving on less than $2.00 a day, we took action — arming future generations with the skills and resilience needed to confront these challenges and break the cycle of hardship.” — Lucia, Compassion center director

This incredible act of compassion involves more caring neighbors than just the local church in Honduras. Compassion supporters who say yes to sponsoring a child equip churches like this one to offer care to children in need around the world.

This yes is the perfect example of many people coming together to show neighborly love and change lives in the process.

Just like the people in the examples above, you too can show love to the neighbors around you. Ask yourself: How can I love today? Perhaps you could give food to someone hungry. Maybe you could share Jesus with a stranger. Or perhaps you could help a child in need through sponsorship. There are so many ways to love your neighbor!