Love as Deep Concern

Day 211: Romans 13:1-14

“Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another 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 any other commandment, are summed up in this word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” - Romans 13:8-10 ESV

On the heels of speaking about honoring the pagan Roman authorities and paying taxes, Paul lays down this classic teaching that has Jesus all over it (see Mark 12:31). Even going way back into Leviticus 19:9-18, we see the origin of "love your neighbor as yourself.” What the Christians were doing was taking this command from Moses to another level.

Again, Jesus led the way with his teaching about the Good Samaritan, challenging us all to consider the unlikely souls as being our neighbors as well (Luke 10:25-37).

How we treat others is evidence of what we really believe about God. If we see our Creator as an all-loving Father seeking our good amid a broken world, we will feel loved. If we feel loved and supported and challenged by the One who spoke everything into existence, we will, in turn, love Him.

If we truly love God, the compassion of His Son, Jesus, will become our own.

I love how Jack Cottrell comments about verse nine: “The main point, though, is not self-love, however pure, but a love that embodies an equally deep concern for the well-being of others.” - Cottrell, J. (1996). Romans (Vol. 2, Ro 13:9)

Kathy GarnerComment