Matthew Henry said, "Our light burns in love to God, but it shines in love to our neighbor." I tremble when I hear those who name the name of Christ suggest that they are the repository of theological wisdom and yet they despise their neighbor. We are told by James that the Royal Law is to love our neighbor. We are told by Paul that the fulfilment of the entire law is to love our neighbor. We are told that the law is summed up in this one word, "Love thy neighbor as thyself." Yet, we often times concern ourselves with the tithe of mint and cummin more than the weightier matters, as Matthew 23:23 states: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. I am found guilty too many times of insuring that certain "things" (all of which are good and have their place, mind you) are lined up just right, only to leave the Royal Law lying in the "dust of apathy." Do we really desire to be lights? Sure, we want to "burn toward God", but do we want to "shine in love" toward our Neighbor?
