What did Jesus say was the greatest commandment?

To love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). Jesus said all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two.

Did Jesus really teach to love your enemies?

Yes. In Matthew 5:44 Jesus commanded, 'Love your enemies, bless them that curse you... and pray for them which despitefully use you', grounding it in the love of God, who is kind even to the ungrateful.

Jesus

What Did Jesus Teach About Love?

Jesus made love the center of everything. Asked for the greatest commandment, he named two: love God with all you are, and love your neighbour as yourself. Then he pushed further than any teacher before him, commanding love even of enemies, and defined love not as a feeling but as self-giving, shown finally at the cross.

The greatest commandment

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart... and thy neighbour as thyself.”

Matthew 22:37-39

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

John 13:34

“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.”

Matthew 5:44

Love that goes to the cross

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

John 15:13

For Jesus, love is not sentiment but action and sacrifice, most of all his own, laying down his life. It is why ‘love one another’ became the mark of his followers, and why the command to love even enemies remains one of the most radical teachings ever given.

Frequently asked questions

What did Jesus say was the greatest commandment?: To love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). Jesus said all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two.
Did Jesus really teach to love your enemies?: Yes. In Matthew 5:44 Jesus commanded, 'Love your enemies, bless them that curse you... and pray for them which despitefully use you', grounding it in the love of God, who is kind even to the ungrateful.

One question deeper: Why did Jesus die? →

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Come and meet him yourself

You do not have to take anyone’s word for it, ours least of all. The living Christ is not an argument to be won but a Person to be met, and he still draws near to everyone who comes to him with an open heart. Read his own words, watch what he does, and see. The Gospel of John is a gentle place to begin, and it costs you nothing but a little quiet and an honest look.

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Jesus Christ is Lord.

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