Do Unto Others: "Love is a Battlefield" - September 29th, 2024

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Not Christmas, silly-goose, ELECTION SEASON! In all seriousness, this is far from the most wonderful time of the year for many of us. Our world seems to be consumed with division-often typified by the colors red and blue. Rather than stay in our monochromatic silos, Jesus challenges us to "Do Unto Others" as we engage in conversation and seek to create whatever common good we can with our relatives, friends, and neighbors who we might consider to be on the "other side" politically and ideologically. When we "Do Unto Others" the way Jesus models for us, the idea is not that we are obliterating either one or trying to change each other. Instead, we discover the beauty that can be created when we work together to make the world a fairer place. This "purple space" is where we cultivate kindness, compassion, humility, respect, and love for one another and the good of all the world, no matter what.
As we wrap up this series, we are exploring "Love". I know I know...you might be saying. "Sam...Really...love...again?" Yeah...love again...but don't blame me! The word love shows up a total of 316 times in the New Testament and 751 times in the entire Bible. Then there is also that sticky little wicket where John declares, "God is Love". So, as you can see, if we are talking about God in any way, especially in relation to Jesus, all roads eventually lead to love.
We see this in one of perhaps Jesus' most well-known teachings and interactions in Matthew 22: 34-40. In it, Jesus interacts with the Pharisees, a religious order in the Jewish faith.
Jesus said that the one supreme law is that we are to love God with all our hearts, minds, and souls and our neighbors as ourselves. It seems simple and straightforward, but Jesus offered a new perspective on the law. Jesus was saying that all lesser laws are to be judged based on that supreme one. In any situation, the lesser law is to be obeyed if it is consistent with this new law of love and superseded if it isn't. The law against working on the Sabbath is an example found in the Gospels. If it is a question of whether or not you should perform the work of healing people on the Sabbath, Jesus' answer is clear. Of course, you should heal them, is his answer. Obviously, healing rather than preserving your own personal piety is what the law of love would have you do. Therefore, you put the lesser law aside. The Mosaic law against murder is an example of precisely the opposite kind. In this case, far from setting it aside as a lesser law, you radicalize it. That is to say, if we are above all else to love our neighbors, it is not enough simply not to kill them. We must also not lose our tempers at them, insult them, or call them fools, Jesus says (Matthew 5:21-22). So, all in a couple sentences, Jesus simplifies the law AND raises the bar WAAAAY up.
And it goes deeper...and it goes back to some words Jesus used in this interaction that reveals a very important thing God has been trying to communicate to us from the beginning. The most used nouns in the Bible are...
LORD - mentioned over 7000 times
God - mentioned approximately 4300 times
Man - mentioned over 2700 times
Israel - mentioned over 2700 times
People - mentioned over 2200 times
You see it? The entire Bible focuses on God, the Lord of everything, and His relationship with mankind, beginning with the nation of Israel. Love is one of the driving ideas in the Bible, reflected in its prominent use, but the subjects are more important.
What Jesus was trying to teach us in regards to this new Law of Love is...
Real LOVE is REAL EMOTION in REAL ACTION for a REAL Person
In this political season, and every season really, if you want to see change in the world, it will always be with you. So...
If you want to receive KINDNESS, give it....
If you want to receive EMPATHY, give it....
If you want to receive COMPASSION, give it....
If you want to receive HUMILTY, give it....
If you want to receive LOVE, give it....
If you have any questions about what you heard or feedback, please know we are here to support you You can reach us at hammond [e-mail] or Pastor Sam at [e-mail] Your spiritual journey is important to us; we are here to walk alongside you.
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From us to you, we wish you peace and every good.