“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’" (Luke 10:27 NIV)
Jesus taught that the law can be summed up with this one word: love. We all fall short of keeping the law. Sometimes, it seems that the harder we try to keep the law, the harder it is to come near the goal. Instead of focusing on what we have to do or what we cannot do, might I suggest that we focus on loving, even as God loves us.
For the past three days we have dealt with what we teach as the first table of the law; that is, to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, strength, and minds. For the young person who is attempting to learn and even memorize the ten commandments, it is helpful to understand that these three commandments come first because God always comes first.
When the love of God is first in our lives, the rest of the commandments, the second table of the law, which is the love of neighbor, follows naturally behind even as a caboose will follow the train. The caboose can go nowhere without the engine. It follows wherever the engine will take it. Follow in the footsteps of Jesus who loves us so much he was willing to die for us.
When we put God before ourselves; when we follow Him, even the second table of the law will more naturally fall into place. That is not because it is natural for us to love; but, because it is the nature of God to love and we are connected to Him. As He abides in us and we in Him, His love abides in us and through us reaching out to a world in need.
According to St. Paul: "Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans 13:10)
If your aim is to live according to the law, focus not so much on the shall not's. Rather, keep your heart and mind focused on what you have been given permission to do. That is to love: love the Lord your God and your neighbor. Focus on living more fully in the love of God for it is through love that the law is fulfilled.
God's Peace - Pr. J
Jesus taught that the law can be summed up with this one word: love. We all fall short of keeping the law. Sometimes, it seems that the harder we try to keep the law, the harder it is to come near the goal. Instead of focusing on what we have to do or what we cannot do, might I suggest that we focus on loving, even as God loves us.For the past three days we have dealt with what we teach as the first table of the law; that is, to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, strength, and minds. For the young person who is attempting to learn and even memorize the ten commandments, it is helpful to understand that these three commandments come first because God always comes first.
When the love of God is first in our lives, the rest of the commandments, the second table of the law, which is the love of neighbor, follows naturally behind even as a caboose will follow the train. The caboose can go nowhere without the engine. It follows wherever the engine will take it. Follow in the footsteps of Jesus who loves us so much he was willing to die for us.
When we put God before ourselves; when we follow Him, even the second table of the law will more naturally fall into place. That is not because it is natural for us to love; but, because it is the nature of God to love and we are connected to Him. As He abides in us and we in Him, His love abides in us and through us reaching out to a world in need.
According to St. Paul: "Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans 13:10)
If your aim is to live according to the law, focus not so much on the shall not's. Rather, keep your heart and mind focused on what you have been given permission to do. That is to love: love the Lord your God and your neighbor. Focus on living more fully in the love of God for it is through love that the law is fulfilled.
God's Peace - Pr. J
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