Love your neighbor

Leviticus 19:17-18 is a neat literary package with a profoundly powerful message:
You shall not hate your neighbor in your heart.
You shall surely rebuke your neighbor and not bear sin because of him [= share in his guilt b/c you haven’t tried to keep him from it].
You shall not take revenge or bear a grudge against the children of your people.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Notice how it is hateful to know our neighbor is practicing something destructive, contrary to God’s design for life, and not try to help. Loving our neighbor, even our enemy, in this way is not easy. Therefore Jesus reminds us in the gospel from Mark 8:34-35, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me FOR whoever desires to save his life [physical, ego-driven] will lose it but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it [will discover and realize the regenerate soul + infinite life].”