04-24-2009, 04:37 PM
Peace Wael,
Loving God and your neighbor are the two central themes woven throughout the old and new testaments. Love your enemy is a command given by Jesus Christ to his disciples:
Matthew 5:43-48
(43) You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy;
(44) But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
(45) To show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers [alike].
(46) For if you love those who love you, what reward can you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that?
(47) And if you greet only your brethren, what more than others are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles (the heathen) do that?
(48) You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Jesus then told his disciples if they were to follow him, to keep his commandments. God commanded the Christian to love his enemy, He did not command his enemy to love the Christian.
John 15:10
(10) If you keep My commandments [if you continue to obey My instructions], you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father's commandments and live on in His love.
Now Wael, you said:
"meeting people's need has nothing to do with loving them." Actually, it has everything to do with it as that is exactly what love is according to the Scriptures.
As far as why I come here it's simple, to present an accurate view of the Bible and the teachings contained in it.