Two Simple Laws

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:34-40 ESV). We are continuing to look at some specific prayers to add to our “list” in regard to our families. I haven’t put them in any particular order. They are things that I simply pray for my children and grandchildren so that they may live the kinds of lives that will produce the best of life for them. The next on my list is that they would experience sanctification through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit and would increasingly desire to fulfill the greatest commandments.

I found this wonderful little meme the other day and it seemed to express this vital truth in our reading so well. Jesus revealed that all of the Old Testament laws were designed to instruct us how to love God and love others. In Jesus’ day (as in our day as well) the religious leaders had become so obsessed with keeping every minor detail of the law that they had lost sight of its ultimate purpose. Jesus declares that they neither loved God nor their fellow man. They loved keeping their laws. I grew up as a Roman Catholic. I can easily remember the countless hours spent studying catechism in preparation for whatever “next step” in my development through the sacraments of the church. While I was never concerned with how many of these were required, I was very concerned that I not get on the bad side of Sister John Edwards! Today’s research shows that there are seven major church laws, with thirty-six additional “collections” revolving around these basic laws. The Jews were more detailed than that. There are thousands of rabbinical teachings that amplify the laws developed through the years since Moses gave the nation the commandments. The Old Testament law and the New Testament concept of grace compel men to the same end. Simply stated that is to love God and their fellowmen. The New Testament concept of grace freely gives men a God-kind of love that is unconditional and tells them to love others as they are loved. It is possible to display actions of holiness, but not love God. It is impossible for God’s kind of love not to produce holiness. So, my prayer has always been for my children to learn to truly love God and others. Add that to your list too.