The Law of Love

I heard the story of a High School Senior who wanted to go for a midnight swim with his beautiful new girlfriend. The neighbors down the block had a pool and he knew they were away. So they ran down there, scaled the fence even though there were no trespassing and do not enter signs. Just as he hit the diving board, his girlfriend yelled, but it was too late. There was only a foot of water in the pool. He broke his neck and is in therapy to this day. He didn't realize that the signs on the fence were there for his protection.

God gave laws to His people for their protection as well. In Jesus’ day the religious rulers lived by strict obedience to the Law of God and added many of laws of their own. But they totally missed the purpose for the Law. It was to make man aware of their fallen condition and move them to love God with the totality of their being and their fellow man as themselves.

In our text, the religious rulers have set a trap for Jesus by asking Him various questions about taxes and Resurrection, then an expert of the Law asks Jesus which Law is the greatest, He answers him Love God and your fellowman, the Lawyer agrees with Jesus’s and according to Mark’s account (Mark 12:34) Jesus tells him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” Then Jesus begins to rebuke them (Ch. 23) giving many examples as to how they had broken God’s greatest Law. And before we begin to shout, “Yes Jesus, tell them!” “Preach on Preacher!” “Shuck the corn Son of God!” we must consider our fallen condition as well because we are no better than they are.

F.C.F. (Fallen Condition Focus): It is true of each us here today, that we do not love God in the way that we ought to, in spite of all He has done for us and we do not love our fellow man as we ought in spite of God’s command to do just that. Today I pray that this message will move us to love God and others as well as give us clear instructions on how to do just that. Because, “The Law of Love” is meant for our good too.

I. Our love for God will become as it ought as it is cultivated. (37-38)

Notice the emphasis Jesus puts on loving God saying it is the First and Great commandment. In Greek First is the Adjective prōtos which means The most important and Great is the adjective megas which means great in degree. Jesus leaves no room for speculation or misinterpretation, this is the greatest command given by God. This leaves is no wonder as to why the Ten Commandments are structured as the are, 1st Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 2nd Thous shall not make graven images, or bow down to them. 3rd Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. 4th Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. We must strive to love God foremost.

Jesus quotes Deut. 6:5, this is part of the Shema, the most sacred of prayer of the Orthodox Jews still today. Each they wake up and before washing their faces, brushing their teeth, or checking Facebook, they get on their face and *Pray Deut. 6:4-9. *This is so sad, they display a commited relationship with God while truly and unknowingly lacking one. So it is with many of us today!* Notice, exactly how we are to love God: With all our heart, this is not the blood pumping organ within our breast but the volition of your will. With all our soul, that which gives you animate life. And, with all our mind, this is your reasoning and understanding. In layman’s terms: The totality of your being… WITH ALL THAT YOU ARE! But also, to love God in the totally of His being Deut. 6:4. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Above and before our love for anything!

App/ILL: However, you will never achieve this until: 1st you come to God by grace through faith in the manifestation of His love towards us, Jesus, the King who came to save His people. The religious Pharisees missed this, but don’t you miss this! Romans 5:8-9 They had Him crucified, not knowing that His death was for the forgiveness of their sins. And three days later Jesus proved Himself the only hope of the world when he rose from the dead. In order to love God like you ought you must first become His child by grace through faith in Jesus! 2nd you be committed to God in a highly devoted and monogamous relationship with Him. It is no coincidence that the Bible calls saved people “The Bride of Christ” and He the “Groom.” There is no relationship on earth that illustrates what our love for God should look like., than biblical marriage. The growing and enduring love of a husband and wife isn’t automatic it is cultivated! I love Hope more today than I did when we first married, because have spent the past 23 years with her, getting to know her, sharing experiences together, and over these years our love has grown! We must take the same approach with God! How much time do you spend with God daily? Its time we take our nose out of Facebook and put it in Hisbook! Its time we spend time with Him in conscience and subconscious prayer, talking with Him, listening to Him, Learning from Him, Obeying Him, and laughing with Him. If we spent as much time with our spouse as we do with God the divorce rate among Christians would be close to 100%! DId you know that God is always present, and that He desires your company just as your spouse desires desires your company. I look over the past 23 years with Hope and recall the blessed times of child births, date nights, fishing trips, how we have laughed together and cried together. All the joy we have caused and shared with each other. (Perhaps tell the story of Riding the Mopeds in St. Augustine) God has been there in all of it, as He has been with you yet how often do we say God remember that time.... Thank you for that time… Bless you for that time… Over the years if we cultivate our relationship it will grow to where it ought to be.

ILL/APP My Grandparents were married 64 years before he passed. They had developed such a love for each other. His last words to her while on a hospital bed dying were “Helen, its been a long wonderful affair.”

We have our the rest of our lives to Spend with God loving Him on earth in preparation of truly loving Him in all eternity. Spend time with today, know Him today, Love Him today, and in eternity you will truly know without a shadow of a doubt it was truly for your best interest.

II. Our love for our fellowman will become as it ought when our love for God it is worked out for the good of others. (39-40)

Jesus gives the Lawyer a bonus, the second greatest commandment. He quotes Lev. 19:18. Perhaps it was because of their lack of love for their fellowman was more obvious than the facade (fuh-saad) they were playing with God.. Matthew 22:13-15 (as an example… it goes on!) Before, we berate them in a fit of self-righteous indignation we must be aware that we do the same.

God is concerned with our relationship with others because it proves and aids our relationship with Him. If we are not in a good relationship with others our relationship with Him is hindered. Again, No wonder the sequence of the 10 commandments. 5th, thou shall honor thy father and thy mother. 6th, thou shall not kill, 7th, thou shall not commit adultery, 8th, Thou shall not steal. 9th, Thou shall not bear false witness. 10th, Thou shall not covet thy neighbor.

Jesus teaches that we treat people as (while in our “right” mind) we treat ourselves. Our love for our fellowman promotes his best interest. This can only come through grace and the love that God has for us. When we are in that close committed relationship with God and we love Him as we ought then He loves others through us. We become like conduit as God’s love flows through us.

What does this look like and how can we work this kind of love out for our fellowman? The context of Deut. 19:9-18a makes it plain. 1st (9-10)we who have ought to provide for those who don’t have, but notice those who don’t have are not to be lazy panhandlers either! 2nd (11-14, 16), we don’t do cause to harm a man’s property, his reputation, or cause him to stumble. 3rd (15), we are to be fair to people regardless of their social class. 4th (17-18) we don’t hate our fellow man, seek to harm him because He harms us, or hold a grudge.. but notice it is OK to point out out wrong doing! *The apostle Paul makes it most clear when He writes 1 Cor. 13:4-8a.* Most importantly 5th (Matthew 23:13 NASB) You have a desire to give him the eternal blessing you have in Christ. And, You make every effort to win him to Christ even if he has wronged you!

ILL: Peter Miller was a pastor during the revolutionary war. He lived in Ephrata, Pennsylvania and enjoyed a friendship with General George Washington. In Ephrata also lived Michael Wittman, an evil minded man who did all he could to oppose and humiliate the pastor. One day Wittman was arrested for treason and sentenced to die. Peter Miller traveled 70 miles on foot to Philadelphia to plead for the life of the traitor. “No, Peter.” General Washington said. “I can’t grant you the life of your friend.” “My friend,” the old preacher exclaimed, “why he is the bitterest enemy I have.” Washington cried out, “What, you’ve walked 70 miles to save the life of an enemy? That puts matters in a different light. I’ll grant your pardon.” And he did. Peter Miller took Michael Wittman back home to Ephrata, no longer an enemy but a friend. That’s what the love of God (Jesus) has done for us and that is how we are to love and act towards others.

Conclusion: The Law is designed for good, leading us to Christ and friendship with others. Jesus teaches us to Love God with the totality of our being and to love others.... and that is the Law.... the rest is commentary.