The Way of Love

Pentecost +22Rev. Doug FloydMatthew 22:34-46 The Pharisees have been trying to trip up Jesus in a way that might turn the crowds against him. Last week, our reading had them joining with the Herodians to ask about taxes in hopes that Jesus might slip up and cause a riot. In our reading this week, a Pharisee steps forward to ask which is…

Pentecost +22
Rev. Doug Floyd
Matthew 22:34-46

The Pharisees have been trying to trip up Jesus in a way that might turn the crowds against him. Last week, our reading had them joining with the Herodians to ask about taxes in hopes that Jesus might slip up and cause a riot. In our reading this week, a Pharisee steps forward to ask which is the greatest commandment. The Pharisees count 613 commandments, so this is a potential challenge.

Before we talk about the answer Jesus gives, I want to mention something from Fr. John Behr. He is an Eastern Orthodox scholar who has been translating some of the Church Fathers. Fr. Behr speaks about apocalypse. Normally, we use the word apocalypse with the Gospel of John and the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Apocalypse does not refer to the end of time but to an unveiling.

Think about how Paul uses veiling and unveiling in 2 Corinthians 3 and 4 to talk about our eyes and hearts being opened to Christ, and this unveiling in turn leads to our transformation. Fr. Behr suggests that all of Scripture is a veiling and unveiling. It is clear that a veil is over the eyes of the Pharisees. For they search the Scriptures but cannot see Jesus.

On the road to Emmaus, Jesus unveils the eyes and hearts of the disciples, and they can see how all of Scripture testifies about Jesus. The Spirit continues this work of unveiling as we read the Scriptures. He open our eyes to the love of God in Christ and draws us to Him.

I would suggest that Jesus is piercing the veil with this Pharisee. The Pharisee has asked Jesus what is the greatest commandment. He might have even had a smile on his face as he considered the difficulty in his question. Jesus penetrates all pretense and speaks directly to the heart of the Pharisee. It is as thought the voice that echoed down Mt. Sinai is resounding even now.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” [1] Instead of smoke and fire, there is Jesus: the love of God made known in human flesh.

Jesus is calling this Pharisee into the fullness of God’s love. Jesus is calling us into the fullness of God’s love. To behold Jesus Christ is to have our eyes and hearts unveiled before the holy love of God. When this happens, we also behold who we are and what we were made to be.

Consider Paul. As Saul of Tarsus, he was an enemy of the church. He was on a mission to destroy the church, but then on the road to Damascus, he beholds Jesus. The veil over his heart is removed. His eyes are opened to the God of Israel in the person of Jesus Christ. He is changed. Like other disciples who encountered Jesus, even his name is changed. He is no longer Saul but Paul the Apostle.

The rest of his life is spent pursuing what has been revealed to him in Christ. The rest of his life is spent pursuing Christ in all His fullness. In the pursuit, Paul is becoming a lover of God’s people and even a lover of his enemies. For once he has encountered the fullness of love in Christ, he realizes that love characterizes every aspect of being human.

In Romans 13:8-10, Paul tells us, “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.” [2]

Jesus speaks the word of love to this Pharisee. He is calling him from death to life. He is calling us from death to life. Every week we rehearse this command of Jesus. Our service opens with these words,

Jesus said: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.

We acknowledge that we fall short of this love. In our “General Confession” we say,

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

We fall short of love and yet, we were made to live in love. All through Paul’s letters the call to love resounds. This is the word of Christ to the Pharisee. Love is the word of Christ to us.

Hear these exhortations on love from throughout the New Testament,

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. [3]

“Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” [4]

But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. [5]

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. [6]

 Let all that you do be done in love. [7]

For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. [8]

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. [9]

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. [10]

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”[11]

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. [12]

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. [13]

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. [14]

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. [15]

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, [16]

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. [17]

We were made to love. Idolatry damaged our capacity to know love and to show love. It blinded us to truth. I’ve only shared a few passages on love from Paul, but the message of love echoes all across Scripture. This is a message echoing down from Mt Sinai in the hearts of ancient Israel, and into our hearts as well.

Let us heed the word of Christ even as we fall short. Let us turn to Christ, call upon His name and trust His Spirit to lead us into the fullness of love.

Let us remember and rehearse these words often. Just as Psalm 1 invites to meditate upon the law day and night, let us meditate upon the law of Christ, the law of love. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 22:37–40.

[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ro 13:8–10.

[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ro 12:9–10.

[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ro 13:10.

[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Co 8:3.

[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Co 13:4–8.

[7] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Co 16:14.

[8] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Co 2:4.

[9] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Co 5:14–15.

[10] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Co 13:14.

[11] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ga 5:14.

[12] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 3:14–19.

[13] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 4:15–16.

[14] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 5:2.

[15] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Php 1:9–11.

[16] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 2:1–2.

[17] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 3:12–14.