“love your neighbor as yourself,” the heartbeat and intended outcome of the Ten Commandments

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, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

Romans 13:8-10; NRSVue

The commandments are from the second table of the Ten Commandments, which focus on love of neighbor. Paul doesn’t say that love replaces these commandments, but that the commandments are summed up in the world “love.”

CEB Study Bible, 296 NT

Jesus made it clear that love for God is demonstrated in loving one’s neighbor as oneself, that love is the point of all of Scripture, the point of it all (Matthew 22:34-40, etc.). That is the summation of how we’re to live. No one can rightfully claim that they love God who does not practice love of neighbor.

Love of neighbor as an expression of love for God is what should drive and motivate us. Too often commandments in Scripture seem to be considered as ends in themselves. For example, the commandment not to commit adultery. And then those who don’t or who imagine they’re pure that way look down on or think they’re somehow superior to others who have failed by falling into the act itself. 

But what would love for God look like? It certainly wouldn’t mean a liaison with someone other than one’s spouse. It includes directions, laws, commandments. But it sees love as underlying all of that, so that the point of all such is nothing more than love for the “neighbor” in the love of God. We owe that to everyone.

Something to keep in mind, in heart, and to hang our hats on. 

back to basics (part one: against anxiety)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7; NRSVue

It’s best to see this command or if you were directive in its immediate context (click link) as well as in the context of the entire book. Philippians is written to Christ-followers in community. That said, these words addressing anxiety are for individuals where they are and community as it is. There is no question that all of my life I’ve seen this directive from Paul addressed to individuals. But the words themselves as well as the context of this letter might suggest otherwise. Perhaps it is primarily to the church together as it faces possible persecution and certainly are engaged in a struggle for the gospel. And secondarily to individuals who might seek to apply Paul’s words. Maybe that’s why fulfillment of this promise seems difficult, because this is meant for community. That said, I don’t think for one moment that this doesn’t apply to us in our individual lives and situations. Applied to community, it’s to take our personal concerns to community for prayer.

The idea about not being anxious about anything at all seems like more than wonderful, too good to be true. Or we might water it down by saying that it’s simply saying that the kind of anxiety spoken of here ought not to plague us. By nature that’s what this anxiety does. It serves really no good purpose at all. There surely is another kind of anxiety which is useful and just a part of being human allied to a healthy fear. If something happens which somehow might be threatening, we react, doing something to counter that concern for ourselves or others. That is different. The anxiety Paul refers to here is that which gnaws away at our insides, our heart and minds, and takes away inward peace. A kind of fear which does not let up but takes over. Nowadays we talk about such in psychological terms such as anxiety disorder. And make no mistake about this: counseling along with medication can be absolutely necessary in some cases. Seeking to pray but receiving the psychological and medical help as well. Paul’s words involve whatever might cause anxiety and no one is immune to that possibility.

To be anxious about nothing at all is something more than welcome especially for those of us who are prone to worry and anxiety. We might think, wow, what a world that would be! It brings to mind the question whether or not Paul’s thorn in the flesh which tormented him somehow involved anxiety. That event recounted in 2 Corinthians 12 led Paul to not only accept but even learn to embrace weakness in general as Christ’s means of keeping Paul humble and dependent on Christ. Christ told him that his grace was indeed enough, and that his power is made perfect in weakness. Paul’s thorn in the flesh and what weaknesses which apply would certainly not be sin or the direct effects of personal or communal sin. Therefore, we can rule out the anxiety Paul referred to in Philippians 4 as applying to any weakness that we might or maybe ought to accept.

We’re not to be anxious before we apply this. I wonder about that, but only because I’m so used to trying to apply this directive only after I’m anxious. What if we could develop the habit of trying to apply this in all of life? What if we looked at this passage more like, here comes the next thing, and right now I’m “making it known” to God in prayer, humbly asking for whatever help I or we need from God concerning this? The things we’re already anxious about, we also can take to God in prayer, first confessing that anxiety as likely the sin it is in not trusting in God. And then we can deal with it in the same way. Thanking God for this promise and God’s help.

To end what for me is a long post, I’ll simply look in wonder and hopefully God-given delight at the promised outcome: the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. That is incredible, tremendous. Even with the thorn in the flesh, or whatever weakness we have, we’re to have that peace. Something God has for us and wants to give us. Yes, even before anxiety hits.

pursuing, being attentive to, and following the wisdom of Proverbs

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

for gaining wisdom and instruction;
    for understanding words of insight;
for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
    doing what is right and just and fair;
for giving prudence to those who are simple,
    knowledge and discretion to the young—
let the wise listen and add to their learning,
    and let the discerning get guidance—
for understanding proverbs and parables,
    the sayings and riddles of the wise.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
    but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 1

I am going through the book of Proverbs right now in my slow ponderings. And I am reminded of a number of things. But I begin with the fact that when we read the Bible, we have to read it first of all in its original context as best we can. That may be limited, though we can get some good helps. But we have to remember it was written at a specific time in a specific cultural context. But if we read it no other way at all, then we have to read it from the context of all of scripture, and especially of Jesus, considering his fulfillment of it all. In Christ we are told are hidden all the treasures of wisdom (Colossians).

But back to the book of Proverbs itself, if we need to err in any way, we need to really seek to take to heart all it has to say. We don’t do everything literally, but the essence or point of every saying, or thought, what it’s getting at, the underlying principle one might say, we do want to understand, and seek to hold on to it for dear life. It is a matter of life and death, but too often we drift away from that, since we either think we know better, or we don’t take it seriously enough.

Proverbs helps us both explicitly and implicitly in giving us direct specific instruction and in helping us have discernment in areas in which it doesn’t directly speak. Proverbs helps inculcate in us a capacity for learning and implementing wisdom for life.

And of course this wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. We don’t trifle with God. God is love, and God is God. That sense of fear has to do with respect which becomes awe for pursuers of God, and dread for those who fail to pursue him. And that is all by grace in and through our Lord Jesus.

Read Proverbs slowly. The best reading is slow reading, I think. We need to let it soak into our bones, into our heart, and out from that, into our very lives day after day. An essential part of our growth in and through our Lord Jesus.

staying in the word

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

John 15:7-8

In the context, Jesus is telling his disciples, and all of us who would follow him that his words remaining in us have to do with keeping as in obeying his commands. And that his command is that we’re to love each other. Of course we know that all of his commands are important. And as James tells us, we’re not only to hear the word, but do it, put it into practice.

The promise here is remarkable, actually, and for everyone who is a follower of Jesus. We’re simply to remain (or, abide) in him and his words are to remain in us. And this needs to be seen in the entirety of the passage, about the true vine and the branches. We are the branches in the true vine who is Jesus. The Father, who is the gardener in this (at least kind of) parable cleanses as in prunes such plants. It is a process which is involved in us being united to Jesus.

The end result is bringing the Father glory by showing oneself to be in the Son in bearing much fruit. The fruit spoken of here, is the fruit that is eternal, that is meant both for this life and beyond, for the life to come.

And so, as I start a new (work) week, I want to remind myself again of the point of it all: being changed more and more into the likeness of our Lord, yes together with others in him, as we love each other in and through Jesus as a witness to the world. And as a result of God’s good, if sometimes painful work in us, in and through Jesus.

obedience to a command

We evangelicals influenced by the Protestant Reformation, and specifically Martin Luther’s contribution to that (brilliant, yet flawed some would say) are often practically allergic to such words as work, works and obedience. Sola gracia is the Protestant Reformation cry (along with other solas) meaning grace only, and it is true, and actually believed in all Christian traditions, though in emphasizing it at a certain point, Protestant churches were addressing error (at least perceived and surely oftentimes practiced) in the church. So that in some of the Protestant understanding, particularly under Luther’s influence, works are looked at with grave suspicion, especially a faith or tradition which would emphasize them.

But a plain reading of scripture would seem to suggest otherwise. Jesus’ talk on obeying his commands in his Last Supper or Farewell Discourse emphasizes the importance of command keeping. Just as he obeyed the Father’s commands, so we as his disciples are to obey his commands. Over and over again in scripture, yes in the New Testament we have imperatives, or words given to us in the imperative mood. They are not suggestions, but commands. We could say they are loving imperatives from a Father, just as I used to like to say. And maybe that expression still has its place at times. But I’m afraid such a thought might blunt the edge off what they actually are pure and simple: commands. Psalm 119 is rich in its teaching on commands and their centrality to God’s people. And now we as the enlarged Israel in Jesus the Messiah are in that line, so that we want to set our heart and our lives on the path of God’s commands. In other words, even though in weakness and sin we will fall short, we want to be among those who live in obedience to the commands found in God’s word, particularly in the new covenant. In growing in doing so, we will find more and more freedom as we leave the ways of the old life, even our own ways behind us.