A reading from Paul’s Letter to the
Romans, chapter 13. … “Owe no one
anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has
fulfilled the law. For 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.” … This is the Word of the Lord.
Please turn to page 322 in the Lutheran
Service Book as we recite together The Close of the Commandments. … What does
God say about all these commandments? … He says: “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous
God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth
generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of
those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (Ex. 20:5–6)
What does this mean? … God threatens to
punish all who break these commandments. Therefore, we should fear His wrath
and not do anything against them. But He promises grace and every blessing to
all who keep these commandments. Therefore, we should also love and trust in
Him and gladly do what He commands.
God’s grace, peace and mercy be with
you. … Our reading from Romans tells us Paul was concerned with the largest
units of society to the smallest – one’s neighbor. The Christian is obliged to
the state by obeying laws, paying taxes, voting and so on. Yet the Christian’s
obligations are not totally discharged by simply observing such legal
requirements. The larger obligation is to act in love toward fellow human
beings.[i]
What Paul meant by love centered on
actions, not emotions. To love somebody actively promotes that person’s good. Love
acts for the good of another. Such love means to cease actions that harm
another person and do what promotes his good.
In the Large Catechism, Martin Luther
wrote, “It is useful and necessary always to teach, admonish, and remind young
people of all this so that they may be brought up, not only with blows and
compulsion, like cattle, but in fear and reverence of God. … Where people
consider this and take it to heart, there will arise a spontaneous impulse and
desire gladly to do God’s will.”[ii]
Tonight, take a
moment to reflect on your day. Search for a moment when you spontaneously and
gladly did God’s will and expressed love for someone by actively promoting that
person’s good. When you do, may
the peace of God that
surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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