Jesus Teaches The Law, Part 3

 If you haven't already, please read "Jesus Teaches The Law, Part 1" first.

 

The Two Commandments

To my mind, this is neither here nor there but I am sure to some this will be a sacred cow. I would say that this is not the starting point. Once you understand God's grace then everything falls into place. Once you see it, you can't unsee it!

The Two Commandments, or at least the first of them, is something I have always struggled with. It is quite frankly impossible to love God with my whole self - all the time. So, the not-so-good news is to be frustrated at never being able to live up to an impossible standard but try anyway!

Let's look at this logically. We are not under the Law. So, there are definitely parts of the Law we do not keep and are not supposed to. For example, all of the Laws about sacrificial offerings, priestly duties, high priests and so on. Yet, when Jesus talked of the Two Commandments He said these two summed up the whole Law and the prophets. 

I think we get this idea backwards in our thinking. We maybe think it is a shortcut. We might think that by loving God with all and our neighbour as ourselves, we are keeping the Law. But that isn't what is meant. It is the wrong way around. It is saying we know when we love God with all and our neighbour as ourselves because we keep the whole Law and the Prophets.

For example, if you covet your neighbour's property, lie to them, commit adultery with their spouse etc, you are not loving them. Likewise, you are not loving God with all either.

That aside, how can we say we are not under Law and then quote the Two Commandments? Jesus was asked by an expert in the Law what the greatest commandment in the Law is. I have been saying that a test to see whether a passage is Law or grace is based on whether we have to do in order to get, or whether we are to do because of what we have received. However, another more immediate test is - "if it directly refers to the Law, it is probably a Law passage." Somewhat akin to, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it's probably a duck!

'But the Pharisees, when they heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, gathered themselves together. One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him. “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ The whole Law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”' Mat 22:34-40

The problem is, today, we often see these commandments with the saying "Jesus said" or "Jesus gave" attached to them. But that is ignoring that just because Jesus said it doesn't mean He was saying it to us. In the passage, He is clearly talking to Pharisees about an issue of the Law they brought up.

There is a tradition among Jews, as far as I'm aware, that a famous Rabbi was asked to sum up the whole Law while standing on one leg. This Rabbi is the first to be credited as using the two commandments this way. This then became the standard answer. From that point of view, the Pharisees are testing Jesus to see whether He agrees with their teaching.

Of course, the Pharisees went on to ask themselves who is their neighbour? They came to the conclusion that their "neighbour" was anyone who was like them, in other words, another Pharisee! This is what prompted Jesus to give the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Jesus gave a new commandment to us that we are to love one another as He has loved us. What's more, John tells us that there are two commandments under the new covenant:

'This is His commandment, that we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as He commanded.' 1 John 3:23

So, 'Love God with all' has been replaced with 'Believe in the name of His Son.' Likewise, 'love your neighbour as yourself' has been replaced with 'love one another as Jesus has loved us.' Do not wonder why simply believing in the name of His Son is enough. How many of God's chosen people (Israel) rejected Him? Jesus said few are they that find Him. Count yourself blessed that you have found Him and given yourself to Him.

But what about. . .

'Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbour has fulfilled the Law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Love doesn’t harm a neighbour. Love, therefore, is the fulfilment of the Law.' Rom 13:8-10

'For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you don’t consume one another.' Gal 5:13-15

At first glance, we might think Paul is reminding people that they are still under the old covenant. However, when we look in context he is speaking of love. The point he is making is that the same God in the old covenant summed up the whole Law as love, in the same way, love is still God's prime directive for us. The covenant has changed, but God hasn't changed. The God who is love gave love as the greatest commandment in the old and the new. 

Paul is using "love your neighbour." as an aside or an example. For example, in Romans and Galatians, Paul has just spent several chapters saying why we are not under the Law but under the new covenant of grace. Now, he's moved on to talk about how we should love one another. Is he now saying we are under the old covenant Law and must answer to it in some way by keeping the greatest commandment under the Law? No, he is simply saying it's the same conclusion but a different means of getting there. Look at the Galatians passage in context. Under the Law, you loved your neighbour by keeping a set of commands. Under the new covenant of grace, you love by walking by the Spirit.

Then there's James. . .

'However, if you fulfil the royal Law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself,” you do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the Law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole Law, and yet stumbles in one point has become guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the Law.' James 2:8-11

James is saying the greatest commandment hinges on keeping the whole Law it represents. He is making the point that if you choose to be under the Law you must keep all of it. Breaking even the smallest part makes you a Lawbreaker.

We must remember that James is writing to the scattered twelve tribes of Israel. Their boast would be that they keep God's Law. James is effectively saying, "You think you keep God's Law? You think you love your neighbour? You show partiality; how is that loving? So, you've broken the commandment you claim to keep and are therefore a lawbreaker."

The end result

Because of Jesus and the new covenant, we are free from the Law of Moses. However, we still worship the same God. God hasn't changed. God is still love. Love is the purpose of the old covenant, as well as the new. Under the old covenant, they were to Love God with their whole being. Under the new covenant, we are Given God's own love. An undying, incorruptible love. Under the old, love was the result of a formula, keep all of the commandments and that will be loving. It was generated by the works and efforts of the people. Under the new, God has placed His love in our hearts:

'Hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.' Rom 5:5

The love that God has poured into our hearts is the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of the Law. This is something that those under Moses never had. If we look at Ephesians 6:24, in that context we see that believers automatically have an undying, incorruptible love for Jesus:

'Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love. Amen.' Eph 6:24

Without that context, we would see that Paul saying that loving Jesus with incorruptible love is something only some will do. As if it is something we have to manufacture. As if only those are deserving of grace. No, every believer has had God's love poured into their heart through the Holy Spirit. Every believer has an undying, incorruptible love for Jesus.

Likewise, we are to love others as Jesus has loved us. Is that to be with our clumsy human love? Is it to be by keeping a checklist of dos and don'ts? No, it is also with His love that He has poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.