The people of the first century enjoyed coming to Christ, to listen when he taught about the principles of God’s kingdom in this world. The message that Jesus proclaimed was so refreshingly different from the legalistic preaching they were used to. In the Gospel of Matthew, we see many confrontations between Jesus, and the scribes and Pharisees. They had taken the Law of God and made their own version of extremely hard commandments that they enforced on the society in Israel. But in the process, they lost the heart and spirit with which God had given the law to Moses.

 

Our Lord Jesus focused much more on the relational aspect of faith. When the scribes tried to push him into a corner on the most important of the commandments, Jesus answered by emphasising the relationships behind the Law. We were created to love and obey God. In Matthew 22:37 and further, Jesus said: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” With this answer, Jesus upheld the tradition that obedience to God is much more important than sacrifice. The second dimension of faith is the way we treat our fellow human beings. “And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). With this, Jesus quoted the Golden Rule – treat your neighbour as you would want to be treated – which is almost universally found across all civilisations in history.

 

The evening before Jesus was crucified, he brought this second commandment even closer to us. He commanded in John 13:34 and in John 15:12 that we should love one another, as he has loved us. This is a much higher standard to attain! I do not always love myself. I can say ugly things to myself in my head. If I were to treat others the way that I treat myself, it would not always show the love of Christ. But Jesus has shown us what it means to sacrifice oneself for the benefit of others. He died for us so that we could live, even though we did not deserve this grace.

 

True faith is a gift from God, Peter has taught us. But we have a responsibility to grow in it. Yesterday, we learnt that we are to grow in godliness. The first fruit of godliness is love. Without love, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13, we do not have a living faith. Jesus has commanded us in so many verses in the Bible to love one another. As believers and followers of Christ, we are bound by ties of love to one another. When we love one another, it bears witness that God is love. The command that Peter is using is more than “mutual affection”, it is “philadelphia” in Greek – a command to brotherly love. Love is more than words. We need to transform our love into deeds, serving and helping one another to reach our purpose in life together.

 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for my spiritual family! Thank you that I am not alone in my walk of faith, but am surrounded by brothers and sisters in Christ. Help me to love them and serve them in a way that honours you. Amen.