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Debt


Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not covet," and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:8-10)

          “You shall have no other gods before me.
           You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below….
          You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
          Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy….
          Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
          You shall not murder.
          You shall not commit adultery.
          You shall not steal.
          You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
          You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor….” (Exodus 20:3-17)
          We come back to love. We always come back to love. In today’s passage, Paul expounds on Jesus’ statement that the greatest law is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself.
          If you love God, you won’t have anything to do with other, so-called gods. If you love God, you won’t reduce Him to an image of something He created. If you love God, you won’t disrespect Him or His name. If you love God or yourself or the people around you, you will keep the Sabbath, setting aside time to spend with Him and to rest instead of seeking only your own financial benefit. If you love God, you will consider that which He’s given you (your parents) as His gifts to you, and as your guides. If you love them, you’ll honor them. If you love your neighbor as yourself, you won’t murder him, steal from him, lie about him, or covet what he has. If you love your wife/husband, you won’t commit adultery.
          I don’t believe any of the commandments given in Scripture cannot be traced back to love: proper love of God, self, family, and neighbor. This is why I have to call those folks who claim to be loving liars when they then claim that we should take the wealth away from the rich and redistribute it to the poor. They aren’t loving the rich, they’re stealing from them. They are coveting, for themselves or someone else, what the rich have. They are also giving false testimony against at least some of the poor they claim to want to help, because they are telling others that those poor folks are incapable of getting out of their situation unless someone does it for them. Equally, those who have no compassion for the poor – out of their own resources – do not love.
          As I read through the commandments and think about love, I struggle with the fact that I can’t do all for everyone. It’s not my job. I’m not God. So, how do I figure out to which of the 7.2 billion people on this planet my tiny bit of love? I’m going to suggest a list. If God has planted something else in your heart, let it grow.
            1)    God
2)    Family
           a.      Spouse, first
           b.     Children, second
           c.      Parents
           d.     Siblings and other relatives
3)    The person you encounter who have a need within your community.
4)    More distant folks that you hear about who need help.
I like the idea of helping people in Ethiopia, Syria, or wherever, but I’m
convinced that unless God directs otherwise, we shouldn’t walk past ten needy
people in our hometown in order to help one far away. Whatever order God
gives you, the point is to love.


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