“Therefore, love the stranger, for you were stranger in the land of Egypt” Deuteronomy 10:19

When asked by a scribe about the first commandment of all, Jesus answered by giving the affirmation of God as one, and then said: and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.

However, Jesus continued, talking about the second, something the scribe hadn’t asked about. “And the second like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself”. Jesus linked the love for God and love for one’s neighbor into one commandment, and that commandment was the greatest of all.

Yahweh is not only the sovereign of heaven and earth; He also is the God of gods and Lord of lords (Deut. 10:17). This asserts his total supremacy over all other powers, real or imagined, either in heaven or on earth.

Yahweh is the sovereign Ruler and sustainer of the creation, but he also cares about the fatherless, the widow, and the stranger, and He shows that care by ministering to their immediate physical needs. The God who takes note if a sparrow falls to the ground knows about the plight of those on the margins of society. In other words, the Lord is telling us that He loves us but He loves others too, including the needy and the helpless among us. And as he loves us, we must love them as well. This is one of our covenant obligations and an important one too.

It’s all but proverbial how the weak, the poor, the outcasts don’t get the same kind of justice in most human courts as do those with money, power and connections. In Deut. 24:10-15, we see the Lord’s concern for basic human dignity. Yes, someone owes you something, and it’s time to collect. But show the person a bit of respect and a bit of dignity. Don’t go barging into his or her place and demand it. Instead, wait outside and let him or her come and give it to you. Deut. 24:12,13 seems to say that if some poor soul gives you his garment as collateral, you need to at least let him sleep in it overnight.

Loving your neighbor as yourself is the highest expression of God’s law and this is present truth now as much as it was in the time of James, and as it was when Moses spoke to Israel on the borders of the Holy Land.