The New Commandment part 2
A new man needs a new commandment. But before we really get into all of that, let's look at the old commandment first: "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets" (Matthew 7:12). The Golden Rule, right? And listen, I get it. This is a very safe place to be. Because if you're only doing things to others that you would like them to do to you, you're probably not going to go astray. But here's my question: Are we really trying to fulfill the law and the prophets? Is that what grace empowers us to do? I don't think so. I think Jesus was trying to show us the PURPOSE of the law and the prophets. Remember, when the Law of Moses was given the people of Isreal had just come out of over 400 years of slavery. They didn't know HOW to be people. They didn't know HOW to love one another. And so God gave them the 10 commandments--notice I said gave THEM, not gave US, becasue if you're not Jewish you never entered into the Old Covenant in the first place--and showed them (externally) what they were supposed to look like. The problem, of course, is that an external law demands perfection without being able to produce it. Or, as Jesus would later tell the rich young ruler, there's always one thing you lack. As hard as you try to act like a "good Christian" that's all it'll ever be. An act. Because behavior modification doesn't work. Works don't work. The only thing that works is the Holy Spirit--our love receptor. The only thing that works is NOT doing in order to be... but doing BECAUSE we be. It's not about telling people what to do. It's about telling people who they are. Who they are in Christ because of who HE is in them! And I've always kind of thought that the "golden rule" almost has a selfish motivation. Like a, "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours," kind of deal. Because under the law that's the point. GETTING, not giving. When, as we are coming to understand, love IS giving. And that's why the New Commandment is, "Love one another as Jesus loves you." It's all about love. It's not even so much about WHAT you do, as HOW and WHY you do it. Moved with compassion and motivated by love. That's the reason we do what we do. And because we ARE loved, we are CAPABLE of doing it. Because we have been GIVEN love, we can GIVE love. It's not about the law and the prophets. It's about the perfect law of liberty. Not about doing things because "we're supposed to," so that we can avoid getting in trouble, but about doing things because what we have (love) is too good to keep it to ourselves. Not trying to get everything, because we already have everything we need, but sharing what we have! Letting God love us and receiving and releasing that love to everyone we come into contact with! It's not about fulfilling the law and the prophets. Jesus did that for us (and as us) on the cross. It's about obeying the New Commandment!