What Is The Difference Between Loving Your Neighbor And Being Taken Advantage Of?

Q: Can you explain the difference between loving my neighbor and being taken advantage of?

A: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told his followers that the big picture is how he expects the citizens of his kingdom to live. Jesus came preaching and announcing the kingdom of God, and the Sermon on the Mount was his stock message that he preached in different villages and cities of Galilee. He was announcing the kingdom of God and that he was the king of that kingdom.

Jesus said, "If a soldier asks you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two." If someone asks for one of something from you, give them two. In the case of the soldier asking you to carry the pack, the first mile was absolutely required. You had to do it, and you would hate the Roman soldier with every step you took. But the second mile is freely chosen. You take charge of it, so to speak, in the name of Jesus, saying, "I'm going to use this to glorify Jesus and to honor my Savior."

There are times when we will be taken advantage of, and that's okay. Think about how often God is taken advantage of, so to speak. God blesses, forgives, or provides for people, and they return to him with nothing. Remember in the Gospels where Jesus healed ten lepers, but only one came back to give him thanks? You could say that those nine lepers who didn't give any thanks to Jesus took advantage of him. In a sense, that would be true, but I don't think God felt that way. I think God felt sad about the people who did that.

To love, in some sense, means that if your mentality is that nobody is ever going to take advantage of you, you might develop a hard heart. It will be hard for you to minister in Christian love and graciousness to others. As much as we can, we should take control of those situations in the name of Jesus and look for a way to give that person even more than they're asking for.