Do I Have To?

 

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall 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: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31 ESV).

 

Charles Shultz always had a way of singling out a very real truth in his Peanuts cartoons. The one I’ve attached today is way too close to the truth we live out each day. Most of the time we can love “mankind;” however, people are another story altogether. It shouldn’t be surprising that when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, his answer was very clear. Of the many commands and regulations in the law of God, those that topped the list were simply: “Love God above all”—and he quickly added the second: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Well, now creates a bit of a conundrum.

 

First, we need to know what kind of love Jesus is talking about. In connection with God’s love for us, this is unconditional love. That’s the kind of love that is totally gracious, generous, and with no strings attached. Then Jesus says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This means that if we are to love our neighbors unconditionally and generously, we will need to love ourselves that way too! God doesn’t make junk. We are created in God’s image; we are his masterpieces. It’s not just okay to love myself: God expects me to celebrate the person he created me to be! The Golden Rule Jesus gave us—“Do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12)—is another way of saying this command to love our neighbor as ourselves. Loving others well depends at least partly on our capacity to love ourselves.

 

But then we must come to the conclusion that this is not remote love. Giving to the hungry and homeless of other nations is good; however, taking care of the hungry and homeless down the street as well. This kind of love needs to be practical and purposeful. It must be grounded in the love we have been shown through grace and forgiveness. And, yes, we have to do this!