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?
6 comments:
I do believe that this is an important subject. So many times we get caught up in doctrine and we forget about the grace of our L-RD G-D that brought us to the point we are now. I am not saying we lay aside doctrine, but we must be in love when we present it. I have learned this the hard way. Our G-D has been merciful to us, we need to shew the same mercy to our neighbour, even if it is that hardheaded Armenian that wants to mince us up for being a "Puritan". Let us not fight a tooth for a tooth, but rather let us turn the other cheek. This does not mean that we put down our defense, but it means that we ought to defend the Truth with love and grace as our L-RD Jesus Christ did.
C S Lewis wrote that loving our neighbour as ourself is often difficult, becuase forgiveness is the most unpopular Christian virtue (besides Chastity), he writes:
"Every one says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive, as we had during the war. And then, to mention the subject at all is to be greeted with howls of anger. It is not that people think this too high and difficult a virtue: it is that they think it hateful and contemptible. 'That sort of talk makes them sick,' they say. And half of you already want to ask me, 'I wonder how you'd feel about forgiving the Gestapo if you were a Pole or a Jew?'"
Thank you brother for these words both convicting and encouraging.
This is truly the most selfless act a man knows, to prefer another above himself causing his own estate to be lowered. Perhaps this is why the love of the brethren is said to be how others know we are of Christ.
The greatest love we can show to our neighbor is that of bringing them the greatest joy and reward they will ever find, that being Christ! If we are not willing to do that, where is our love?
You haven't posted in a while... I'm looking forward to seeing more.
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