Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.
Romans 13:10
We can go one step further than doing no wrong to a neighbor; we can do right by them. At the 2014 Olympics a Russian cross country skier broke a ski during a race and a coach from the Canadian team gave the skier a new ski so he could finish the race.
I would say that is about as right as things can get.
Now it came about on the next day that an evil spirit came mightily upon Saul, and he raved in the midst of the house, while David was playing the harp with his hand, as usual; and a spear was in Saul’s hand. Saul hurled the spear for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David escaped from his presence twice. Now Saul was afraid of David for the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul.
1 Samuel 18:10-12
This is David who killed Goliath. He saved the Israelites from destruction. This tremendous feat initially brought him honor and appreciation and an appointment as a military leader. However, King Saul became jealous of David’s popularity. Saul thought David was a threat to his power and that perhaps he should kill David. Eventually, David ran away and hid until Saul cooled off.
In modern times, some might argue that David was at fault for Saul’s jealousy. This is the same thinking that says if you are a Christian and are having trouble, maybe it’s because you aren’t doing what you are supposed to be doing. This puts entirely too much weight on Christians for the actions of those who act because they are evil.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French Jesuit said, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual being having a human experience."
When things go wrong for us, as they did for David, we need to remember that we are having a human experience, which does not diminish our salvation through Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
Matthew 6:1-4
When we are doing good, we sometimes get carried away by our own feelings of righteousness. We feel pretty good about ourselves and let people know it.
Jesus warns us that we are not to seek glory for doing good, but we are to do good for the sake of doing good, knowing that our reward comes from God, not from man.
So, go do some good!
Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”
Luke 12:13-15
What do you do when a family member dies and leaves his whole estate to someone other than you? Should you ask for your fair share?
When Jesus was asked this question, Jesus did not give the answer that the one who asked wanted. Instead He pointed out that life is more than possessions. An abundance of possessions does not mean a good life. What if this man’s brother begrudgingly gave Him part of the inheritance? Odds are the giver would resent the receiver for his greed and the receiver would resent the giver for not giving him more. Two brothers would be divided over a dead man’s decision and perhaps end up not speaking to one another.
Our family relationships are more important than anything money can buy. Sometimes we need to forgive and forget things which we and others had no control over.
Where greed rules, love dies.
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ...
Matthew 5:43-48
Jesus asks us to do hard stuff. And this, loving our enemies is one of them.
I think the reason why we need to love our enemies is so that we do not become like them. Think about it. Chances are our enemies have a lot of hate, not just for us but for a lot of other people and things.
Do we want to be filled with hate? No. So, the solution is obvious - love. We do not have to like what our enemies do or how they behave or what they say, but we have to love the person.
Jesus asks us to do hard stuff so that we do not become hard, but remain filled with God's love.
For in this case the saying is true, “One sows and another reaps.”
John 4:37
We do not to go about the work of God to become wealthy. We do the work of God because we want people to know Jesus and to have a better life. The work of God involves both preaching the Gospel and meeting the physical needs of people.
Several years ago, our neighbor’s daughter was struggling to take care of her children. I gave my neighbor a bag of clothes my daughter had outgrown for her granddaughter, Heaven, who was starting kindergarten and needed clothes.
A few days later my neighbor told me that Heaven was overwhelmed by the gift of those clothes. She said Heaven told everyone “Sara Mills is my best friend.” Heaven never met my daughter but she understood that someone cared for her.
Many of the clothes in that bag were hand me downs my daughter received from an older friend. My daughter was blessed by those clothes and then Heaven was blessed by those clothes.
We sow and another reaps, then another sows and another reaps, and the blessings go on and on.
In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you….
Matthew 7:12
We live in a society where too often people say the first thing that pops into their head and that something can be rude and hurtful to the receivers of the message.
Jesus said we all should treat people the way we want to be treated and perhaps we need to do this more today than ever before.
The golden rule is still true.
