Pages

Monday, August 10, 2015

Love - A Command

All too often, we think of love as a feeling or emotion. This is because we equate love with romantic love. We think about falling in love and even say, "You can't help who you fall in love with." This becomes confusing, then, when we read in Scripture that love is a command. That's because the love described in these commands is not romantic at all. It is a different kind of love.

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 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 22:36-40 NIV)

I know the Bible is a big book. In fact, it is a book filled with books. The original languages included Greek and Hebrew and the book is filled with many chapters and verses. The thought of reading the Bible cover to cover can be challenging even to the most faithful follower. I've talked with many people who try to read the Bible from the beginning and then crash right around the third book: Leviticus. That's because Leviticus is filled with a bunch of the Old Testament law.

This becomes so important in understanding Jesus' discussion about the Great Commandment (as we call it). He told us that all the law hangs on these two commands. He even said all the prophets hang on these two commands as well, including Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and all the rest. That's a lot of the Old Testament. Jesus said we can live out the law and the prophets by loving God first: when we awake, when we go to sleep, and all of the time in between.

We also fulfill the law and the prophets when we love other people as much as ourselves. I know that I love myself enough to breathe on a regular basis so I have enough oxygen in my system. I know that I love myself to eat every day, sleep every night, and work to have food, clothing, and shelter for myself. I even take care of myself when I am getting sick, so I will get better. The question is, do I care about such things for my neighbor. It starts with my wife and children. That is easy. I feel the responsibility for them. But what about my next door neighbor? What about my coworkers? What about the homeless men and women I pass on the street? Do I really love my neighbor as myself? Yes, the love Jesus talks about here is quite different from romantic love.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35 NIV)

So how about you? Do you love God with your whole heart, mind, soul, and strength? Do you really love your neighbor as yourself? Do you live out love as a command? If so, you are living out the law and the prophets.

No comments:

Post a Comment