“Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments (Matthew 22:37-40)

By linking these two commands that were found in different places in the Old Testament, he lifted up the love for neighbor to a higher standard than it had previously occupied.  By saying “as yourself” he was telling the disciples that they should care for others well being as they cared for their own well being. By stating that these two commands were the foundation for all the rest, he made obedience simple, even if it is not always easy. When in doubt – love.