What is the heart of the Gospel? What is our most important duty as Christians?
The one word answer is LOVE. Christians are known for so many things for which they should not be known. If there is any one thing by which followers of Christ may be known – it is love. The Beatles sang, “Love is all you need,” and they were almost right.
Look at how the Bible, again and again and again, emphasizes the primacy of love. Love is the greatest commandment.
James 2:8
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.
John 13:35
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Mathew 22:37-40
Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Mark 12:28-34
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
Romans 13:8-10
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Galatians 5:14
The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 John 4:7-8
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
John 13:34
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
1 John 3:23
And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
1 John 4:21
And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
2 John 1:5-6
And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
I could go on and on. See Ephesians 5:1-2, 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13, 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10, 1 Timothy 1:5, 1 Peter 1:22, 1 Peter 3:8, 1 John 4:11-13, 1 John 3:10-10, 1 John 2:3-11 and of course the full beauty of 1 Corinthians 13!
It is my personal belief that God’s commands to “love God” and “love others” are intertwined. Consider what Jesus said to Peter after His resurrection (John 21:15-18).
It is the same for you and me. When we show our love for those around us, we are showing our love for God! The two greatest commandments are intertwined.
St. John was the only apostle not martyred – although he was exiled. He lived to be old and physically weak so that he required frequent assistance. John, in his weakness, continually exhorted his brethren, “Little children, love one another.” He said it so often that his followers and helpers asked him why he so frequently repeated it to them. He replied, “Because it is the Lord’s commandment, and if this be done it is enough.”
We have no higher duty than to love others. It should be our mark. All men should know us – and therefore know Christ – not by any righteousness or piety, but by love.
When you think of sin, do you think of the failure to love? Most of us think of lying, stealing, murder, adultery, and any number of other awful things so prevalent in human communities.
If love, though, is the heart of the greatest commandment, then is it not a terrible sin if we disobey this commandment?
I am not interested in sparking a debate about the equality of sin. (I generally believe that one sin is the same as another to God.) I am interested in making this point:
When we fail to love, we sin. God’s greatest commandment should not be ignored.
[This message has been edited by Modano (edited 4/18/2006 10:37p).]
The one word answer is LOVE. Christians are known for so many things for which they should not be known. If there is any one thing by which followers of Christ may be known – it is love. The Beatles sang, “Love is all you need,” and they were almost right.
Look at how the Bible, again and again and again, emphasizes the primacy of love. Love is the greatest commandment.
James 2:8
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.
John 13:35
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Mathew 22:37-40
Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Mark 12:28-34
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
Romans 13:8-10
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Galatians 5:14
The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 John 4:7-8
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
John 13:34
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
1 John 3:23
And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
1 John 4:21
And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
2 John 1:5-6
And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
I could go on and on. See Ephesians 5:1-2, 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13, 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10, 1 Timothy 1:5, 1 Peter 1:22, 1 Peter 3:8, 1 John 4:11-13, 1 John 3:10-10, 1 John 2:3-11 and of course the full beauty of 1 Corinthians 13!
It is my personal belief that God’s commands to “love God” and “love others” are intertwined. Consider what Jesus said to Peter after His resurrection (John 21:15-18).
quote:Jesus is telling Peter that he can show his love for Christ by loving Christ’s people. In other words, Peter actively loves God by actively loving others.
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep….”
It is the same for you and me. When we show our love for those around us, we are showing our love for God! The two greatest commandments are intertwined.
St. John was the only apostle not martyred – although he was exiled. He lived to be old and physically weak so that he required frequent assistance. John, in his weakness, continually exhorted his brethren, “Little children, love one another.” He said it so often that his followers and helpers asked him why he so frequently repeated it to them. He replied, “Because it is the Lord’s commandment, and if this be done it is enough.”
We have no higher duty than to love others. It should be our mark. All men should know us – and therefore know Christ – not by any righteousness or piety, but by love.
When you think of sin, do you think of the failure to love? Most of us think of lying, stealing, murder, adultery, and any number of other awful things so prevalent in human communities.
If love, though, is the heart of the greatest commandment, then is it not a terrible sin if we disobey this commandment?
I am not interested in sparking a debate about the equality of sin. (I generally believe that one sin is the same as another to God.) I am interested in making this point:
When we fail to love, we sin. God’s greatest commandment should not be ignored.
[This message has been edited by Modano (edited 4/18/2006 10:37p).]
