Biblical Answer

Jesus said "Love your neighbor as yourself" in response to a lawyer who asked him which commandment was the greatest in the scripture. Jesus answered by quoting from Deuteronomy and Leviticus, saying that the first commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:29-31). Jesus explained that these two commandments are the most important of all, and that all the other commandments hang on these two (Matthew 22:35-40).

Jesus emphasized the importance of loving one's neighbor as oneself by telling the parable of the Good Samaritan. In this story, a Samaritan who was a stranger to the man who was attacked and left by the side of the road, showed him kindness and compassion, even going out of his way to care for him. This parable illustrated what it means to love one's neighbor as oneself, and showed that it is not limited to those who are similar to us or who we feel a connection to, but rather it is about showing love and kindness to all people, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Jesus also emphasized that loving one's neighbor as oneself is a response to loving God with all one's heart, soul, mind, and strength. This is because loving God and loving one's neighbor are two sides of the same coin. When we love God, we are able to love others, and when we love others, we are showing our love for God. This is why Jesus said that if we do not love God, we cannot love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:30). Therefore, loving one's neighbor as oneself is not just about showing kindness and compassion to others, but it is also about demonstrating our love for God and our commitment to following His commandments.