Romans 13:8-14
Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet’; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Reflection
Love is the fulfilling of the law. Love God and love neighbor. It sounds and seems so simple. That's the beauty of the message. It's easy to hear and easy to understand but our sinfulness makes it mighty tough to do.
I don't want to love some people. It's that simple too. There are some people that I just don't want to love. They are the ones that you work and work to obey this commandment all life. And these people aren't just one and done people, where you finally find a way to first just put up with them and then you finally make a little room to kind of like them. And then maybe just maybe you care about them and then every once in a while you love them. Then there are other people that come along that you just can't stand and the cycle starts all over again. It's exhausting trying to love people you don't even just dislike a little bit!
Yet...
"'Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law."
Man! That's hard... at least for me... I'll admit it. I'm not going to smile and pretend this is not easy. Some people, especially Christians will put on that smiley face and act like it's all so easy. I have a problem thinking that they are sincere in their attempts to fully love the person they can't stand. Then throw in those people you flat out disagree with or can't even stand to hear their viewpoints on life or anything. And what about evil people? It's not that easy!
Then consider...
"Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness..."
Well, each passing moment we are closer in closer in our human realm of time to getting this love done. Each passing moment in our human element of time is a gift from God to do God's will and to love ALL the people. Isn't that what Jesus did when he was in our human realm of time? Jesus was on a mission! He was here to love ALL the people and he did it! He was born, lived, taught, healed, gathered the outcasts and the people that had been set aside along with all the people of creation to offer a gift so wonderful, unique and one of a kind. Jesus offered to be the sacrifice for all of our failures to fulfill this commandment to LOVE, by giving his very life and rising again. ALL for ALL of us who fail and continue to fail to this day.
Why? So that we can see a wonderful, powerful, godly, true demonstration and actual LOVE. A Love that comes to us and frees us from the shame of all those times we fail to love, to get back up and go at it again and again. It's a lifetime mission for me and perhaps for all disciples of Jesus. A lifetime mission to love God and love one another... even those we can't stand... even the enemy... even that guy at work that gets right under your skin in a second. All those people are God's creation that God has chosen to love to death. Death on a cross so that God could show a resurrection from the dead and true unity and love with God in eternity at the heart of Love.
So we look to God to give us the strength and courage to...
"Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires."
So, we can walk away from our spirit of sinfulness in loving and be pulled forward by the love of God in Christ Jesus to the Spirit of love for God and for neighbor in a mission that God has called us to from this point now and into that eternal relationship of love with God and with all God's people.
Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zSaOgz_X48
Prayer
Lord, help me with this mission of Love. Help me to love all those you give to me each day. Help me to emulate the love you have shown for all creation and all people so that all the people you give to me may see your love and your glory and you will and your way in life... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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