What We Say, And What We Do, Are Two Different Things

Yesterday I shared a small portion of Ps.119, that is requesting God’s guidance in all ways of living, behaving and speaking to others.  TodayI share a passage, in Romans  13 (see below), where the Apostle Paul is referencing Jesus’ summation of the commandments:  Love God!  Love your neighbor!  

However Paul begins his discussion with an interesting phrase:  Owe no one anything, except to love one another;….This is one of those lines that gets overlooked.   The first four word of the sentence get lost in the next five.  What we hear is something about love that fulfills the law.  In other words, it has something to do with either the Commandments or all the rules in the book of Leviticus. Sort of like, if we act nicely toward others we are doing the proper behavior required by the rules of life.  Period!  We can check it off our list as one good deed today.

The little word owe put introduces a broader interpretation to what we might defined as an obligation or responsibility!  Something we are indebted to.  The call to love entails something far deeper in meaning.  This love that Paul, and Jesus, talk about is something that binds us to our actions.  It is not a one time nice word or action.  It is a constant way of living and being.  Because we are loved by God in the purest form of the word.   That is: freely given no stings attached!  And because we are so loved we just want to return the same in kind.  That is the only thing we owe anyone is what we are given from God.  It has really nothing at all to do with rules.  Or, by the way, human expectations!  It has to do with something within us that is responding to something so very precious that we are inclined to ‘do’ it for others — no strings attached.  It is a way of life every day all the time.

Now!   Does that mean we are perfect, or even good, at this loving?  Hardly!  But that is not really the point!  The point is that because of this unconditional love God gives us; we live with a much different world view — a different frame of reference.  We desire to be loving!  But we often fall short of the mark.  Here is the place of our tissue thin personalities!  The Apostle Paul puts is this way in Romans 7:  15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. 17 But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it.

So now let me pull this discussion back to my recent posts on the attitudes and behavior of our national and world leaders.  And admittedly this falls on the side of judgment!  But! But! I have a problem with those who claim to be doing good!  Who talk a good talk!  And yet are taking actions that are very much different then the love of God.

I plead guilty to my unloving opinion!

8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 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 neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.(Rom. 13:8-10)