Advent
December 22, 2018
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 10:5-10
When he said above, ‘You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt-offerings and sin-offerings’ (these are offered according to the law), then he added, ‘See, I have come to do your will.’ He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. –Hebrews 10:8-10
What is the difference in following the laws of God and doing God’s will? Shouldn’t they be the same? Do any of God’s laws supersede God’s other laws? Who decides? How do we know we are following God’s will? Our world today is entangled in legalese regarding how we interpret civic law and therein is one problem.
The Jewish tradition includes a long history of study and publications of finding regarding the interpretation of God’s law with differing outcomes and how to interpret ancient laws as they relate to modern application.
Jesus, in answering a question, established a baseline for interpreting God’s laws when he said, “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’” (Mark 12:30-31) This scripture is now known as the Great Commandment for which Jesus’ life and ministry provided interpretations. His death and resurrection provided the ultimate gift of love to show us the way we are to live and die and provided the source of grace that fills the gaps when we miss the mark as we attempt to live Jesus’ love and continuously communing with God who guides us in our quest to fulfill God’s vision.
Loving like Jesus requires an intentional effort to see the Christ in every human as we desire the very best for all. We do not decide what is best for the other; we introduce them to Christ and trust Christ to guide them as he guides us.
Coming to live among us as a baby demonstrated God’s commitment to experiencing all aspects of life from the womb to the tomb. We most often have difficulty loving another when we cannot comprehend their situation. Imagining ourselves living the life of another is one way of loving like Jesus. We might become less judgmental and more understanding enabling loving.
Prayer: Lord, free us from any bigotry or prejudice that limits our ability to love another. Amen.