416. The reason why the Lord's kingdom is the neighbour to be loved in the highest degree is that the Lord's kingdom means the church throughout the whole world, what is called the communion of saints, and it also means heaven. If therefore a person loves the Lord's kingdom, he loves everyone in the whole world who acknowledges the Lord and has faith in Him and charity towards the neighbour, as well as all in heaven. Those who love the Lord's kingdom love the Lord above all else, and consequently have greater love to God than all others. For the church in the heavens and upon earth is the Lord's body, since its members are in the Lord and the Lord in them.
[2] Love for the Lord's kingdom then is love towards the neighbour in the fullest sense. For those who love the Lord's kingdom not only love the Lord above all else, but also love the neighbour as themselves. Love to the Lord is universal love, thus pervading every detail of spiritual life and also every detail of natural life. For that love dwells at the highest level in a person, and what is highest flows into what is lower, bringing it to life, just as the will does into every intention and thus every action, and as the understanding into every thought and thus every utterance. This is why the Lord says:
Seek first the kingdom of the heavens and its righteousness, then everything will be given to you in addition. Matt. 6:33,
The kingdom of the heavens is the Lord's kingdom, as is established by this passage in Daniel:
Behold, one like the Son of Man was coming with the clouds of the heavens. And to him was given dominion, glory and the kingdom, and all peoples, nations and tongues will worship him. His dominion will be a dominion for ever, which will not pass away and his kingdom one which will not perish. Dan. 7:13, 14.
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