You have set aside the commandment of God. (Mark 7:9)
It was an easy trap to fall into. In their zeal
for the faith, many of the scribes and Pharisees created layers and
layers of traditions and practices that would set them apart from “the
world.” Over time, these layers began to complicate and eclipse the true
nature of the Law of Moses—to the point that some people were able to
turn the Law on its head.
In contrast to the complexities these scribes and Pharisees
introduced, Jesus focused on two simple, fundamental commandments: love
God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. Every law
and commandment of the Lord can be summed up by these two verses from
the Torah.
But no matter how simple these commands are, they certainly aren’t
easy. How can we love everyone all the time? There are times when we can
barely tolerate members of our family, let alone the stranger next door
or the co-worker who gets on our nerves. How can we avoid the
temptation to introduce complexities and excuses so that we can free
ourselves from the command to love?
By letting God’s own love teach us how to love.
It may not be easy, but it is simple. Jesus loves you. Not because
you do the right things. (No one is perfect.) Not because you embrace
every one of his teachings. (Everyone struggles with at least one
commandment.) And not because you have shown yourself to be better than
other people. (God’s rain falls on the just and unjust alike.) No, Jesus
loves you because he looks into your heart and sees how “very good” it
is (Genesis 1:31). He looks past the hurts, the resentments, and the
unconfessed sin, and peers right into the center of who you are.
It’s right there, in the center, that Jesus sees the love he has
placed in you. He sees your desire to please the Lord. He sees the
goodness and purity that God created you with. And what he sees pierces
his heart with love. With joy. With compassion. It’s this gaze that can
melt our hearts and teach us to love as he does—simply, mercifully, and
equally.
“‘My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the Lord. My heart
and my flesh cry out for the living God’ (Psalm 84:3). Jesus, teach me
to love.”
from wau.org
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