Hey guys, I hope you’re doing well today.
This is just a quick post, on the call we have as Christians. I always wonder what to say, or how to feel, particularly when the world is in turmoil. It feels like we celebrate one victory, but prepare for another tragedy, and hope doesn’t come easy anymore.
I asked God, what do we do? What’s the right thing to say? I didn’t get a huge message or any dramatic fireworks or a burning bush. But I was reminded of Love.
Today’s post is about choosing love.
In the old testament, when God gave Moses the laws, the 10 commandments, they were given as a basis for how the Israelites were to live their lives (God knew human beings needed boundaries in order to be safe and protected, against others and themselves, but we shall talk about that in another post!). Anyway, so when Jesus came to earth, people would ask Him questions, trying to trick him and find loopholes, just wanting to trap Jesus.
Matthew 22:34-40 NKJV
34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Jesus mentions something which is really important. ON these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
When I was studying the Pentateuch and I came across the 10 commandments, I found out that the reason why Jesus said the all the law hang on these two commandments – is because when you look a the 10 commandments, they’re split in two sections: Loving God, Loving your neighbour.
I’ve come up with a quick image to illustrate this:
In the old testament, these commandments were split, and actually had different offerings for them (Seen in Leviticus and the book of Numbers)The first five required sin offerings, for any unintentional disobedience of the first five commandments – which linked to our relationship with God. And the guilt offerings were for intentional or unintentional disobedience of the other five commandments, which linked to our relationship between us and other men. (For further information, I would have a look at a really good article: Link )So when I found this bit of information it made sense why Jesus told us that A) these great commandments and B) why all the law was put on these commandments.
When the Holy Spirit revealed how the commandments link to the greatest commandments, my mind was blown! That’s really why I fell in love with reading scripture. Because for the first time it was all making sense, when Jesus said “I did not come to abolish the law but to fulfil it!” (Matthew 5:7)
Paul further explains this in the book of Romans, regarding the second half of the commandments!
Romans 13:8-10 NKJV
8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” [b]“You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
I love how Jesus simplified this for us. God wants us to love, to love Him and to love our neighbour. Jesus also mentions how these commandments are similar “the second is just like it”, because God tells us that we can’t say we love Him yet we don’t love our brothers and sisters.
1 John 4:20-21
20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, [d]how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
We are called to love! God wants us to love! That’s something that we need to remember, in all that we do. Let it all be out of love.
So, over the next couple of posts, I want to explore what it really means to love, I am really looking forward to this.
Practical Question of the week / Homework Task: How can you show love to another person, particularly in this Pandemic?
God bless you!
~ peace, joy & love x
TK x
TK writes 