Living Love God's Way Part 2

Pharisees v. Jesus

The Pharisees and the Sadducees were growing more irritated by Jesus, believing that he was a heretic and a blasphemer but the power in the words and the manner in which He taught them, caused overwhelming fear and anger in all who were in power in Judea. Sadly, these well-trained, life-long students and practitioners of the Law and the Prophets, were blind to the truth and the Spirit of the scriptures they knew so intimately.

Jesus replies to the lawyer

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 22

37 And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’

38 “This is the great and foremost commandment.

39 “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’

40 “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

God covered all the bases

The first and great command is to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. In the first part of this series, we established that man’s heart is intent on doing evil continually. Therefore, the only way for man to love at all with a genuine love is to have a personal, intimate relationship with God. We cannot give what we do not have. Without God, there is no love. No matter what, God comes first.

God’s love for the crowning jewel of His creation motivates the perpetuation of the second commandment which is akin to the first. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. It is amazing that God commands us to love one another in spite of our stubbornness and rebellious ways. He commands His love toward man through man. As with the first commandment, God tells us how this command is to be carried out. He shows us what this love should look like. In His wisdom, God lays out the instructions for the manner in which we must show love one to another.

A portrait of love for our neighbor

What to avoid:

Don’t seek revenge or hold a grudge: Le 19:18

do not commit adultery: Ex 20:13

do not commit murder: Ex 20:14

do not steal: Ex 20:15

do not covet: Ex 20:16

Things to do:

Should be treated fairly: Ex 22:5-15; Le 6:2-7; Le 19:9-18

Should be respected: Ex 20:16

Should respect possessions: Ex 20:17

Should be thought of as a brother: Dt 22:1-4

Israelites were to treat their brother in the same loving manner which they were themselves treated by God: Ex 22:21; Le 25:35-38

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 13

4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,

5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,

6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

7 abears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Description of our neighbor?

OT - A neighbor is a fellow member of the covenant community; i.e. an Israelite: Le 19:18

A foreigner who is passing through: Le 19:34

NT - Love was shown to only those who were considered neighbors. Their love was discriminatory, which is the opposite of what Jesus commanded.

It appears to me that our neighbors are those who live in this neighborhood in the galaxy called earth.

To love your neighbor is the fullfilment of the entire law: Ro 13:8-10; Ga 5:14

This commandment according to James is the Royal Law: Jas 2:8

Jesus proclaimed that this love should be shown to the neighbor and enemy alike: Mt 5:43-48

The Law and the Prophets

The Law refers to the Law of Moses and the Prophets, as it is used here, refers to the Scriptures, the infallible Word of God, the collection of books that compile the total work of the Holy Bible. In Matthew 22:40, Jesus states that on these two laws depend the Law and the Prophets. The two great commandments are that we SHALL love… These two sum up the Ten Commandments of Exodus 20.

All the laws written are the parameters by which we are to abide by each of the Ten Commandments. With the laws we are given specific instructions and guidelines to determine whether a commandment was broken, how to determine the degree or severity of the offence, and the requisite reward for the offence.

Commandment 2 and The Golden Rule

You shall love your neighbor as your love yourself (Matthew 22:39, NASB 1995).

Who is your neighbor? Do you love yourself?

Would you help someone in need if they caused you some egregious offence?

Have you forgiven the one who caused such an offence? Do you love yourself?

Do you consider payback for a wrong done to you? Do you love yourself?

In everything, therefore treat people in the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the law and the prophets. Mt 7:12, NASB 1995).

Do you tell half truths simply because you can get away with it? Do you want others to cheat you with a lie?

Do you overcharge a little because you are a little short on a bill this month? How would you feel to have anything stolen from you?

3. Have you ever judged your neighbor by the color of their skin? Do you think you are immune from any such discrimination?

4. Don’t gossip about anyting or anyone. You do not want to be a victim of such activities.

God loves you! Even if you do not deserve it!