Some Key Words (12/22/00)

Owe (opheilo [3784]):

ought to, must, due to moral or personal obligation; to owe money, to be in debt, the goodwill due; to owe, to be under obligation, to fail in a moral duty

Love (agapao [25]):

to direct the will towards, to find one's joy in, love that expresses compassion; to welcome, entertain, be fond of, to be contented with; to love in a social or moral sense

Neighbor (heteros [2087]):

another qualitatively, different, foreign, strange; the other, not of the same form, class, or kind;

Fulfilled (pleroo [4137]):

to fill - as a net fills with fish or a house fills with the smell of perfume, to fill up, fulfill, complete, perfect, finish, end, to perform fully, to explain fully, to do what was foretold, to fully satisfy; to cause to abound, to supply liberally, to fill to the top such that nothing is wanting, to consummate, complete in every particular, to carry through to the end, to bring to realization, to execute, to bring to pass, to accomplish, to fulfill, to cause God's will to be obeyed as it should be; to make replete, to cram, level up, to furnish, influence, to satisfy, execute an office, finish a task, verify a prediction

Love (agape [26]):

benevolent love shown in doing what is best for the loved one whether desired or not; brotherly love, affection, good will, benevolence; [agape is the noun representing what agapao does]

 

Paraphrase: (12/22/00)

8 Don't be indebted to anybody. And yet, to all you owe a debt of love, for this love of neighbor is the point of the whole Law. 9 All of its commandments - not to commit adultery, not to murder, steal, or covet - every commandment is brought to fullness in the single command to love your neighbor as yourself. 10 Such a love cannot do wrong to a neighbor, and so fulfills the law completely.

Key Verse: (12/22/00)

13:10 - Since real love cannot abide the harm of its intended, it ensures our keeping of the Law inasmuch as we practice it.

People Mentioned: (12/22/00)

N/A

Some Parallel Verses (12/22/00)

13:8

Mt 7:12 - We are to treat people as we would like them to treat us, for this is what both Law and Prophet have always taught, Mt 22:39 - it is the commandment of God, Jn 13:34 - and Christ - who declared our love ought to resemble His own. Gal 5:14 - Love fulfills the Law. Jas 2:8 - In fulfilling the law of love, we do well.

13:9

Ex 20:13-17, Dt 5:17-21 - The commandments regarding our treatment of others. Lev 19:18 - Vengeance and grudge-holding are forbidden by the LORD, as He commands us to love our neighbors. Mt 19:19 - Jesus lists the law of love alongside the commandments noted above, when talking to the rich young man.

13:10

same verses as 13:8

 

New Thoughts (12/23/00)

Such a seemingly simple command, and yet so hard to maintain! Again this morning, I have been reminded of my inability to fulfill the requirements my Lord puts upon me unless I remain firmly dependant upon His power to do it in me. It's easy to love those who aren't currently annoying us. It's easy to love family members when we're seeing them for the first time in a long time, during holidays like this. But when somebody criticizes us, when somebody fails of this commandment in regard to us, how easy it is to repay them in kind. How hard it becomes to hold to this commandment in the face of even such small things! This is precisely why the law of love is so critical to the community of Christ. When first one breaks with this law, and allows the law of selfishness to rule instead, it is like the first germ of disease, the first spark of a forest fire. And it spreads easily amongst the dry timbers of the old self. Only the living water can stop its spread. Only the working of the Holy Spirit within us can keep the flames from catching in ourselves. Owe everybody your love. That's what we are being told here. Lord, I failed in that today. I have asked forgiveness of that one for whom I failed, and I ask the same of You. This is a failing of mine. You know it. I know it. I am quite easily offended, and all too willing to become offensive in reaction. Help me, oh Lord, to become more like You. Help me to learn to react in love to the unlovely. Help me to cease from being the unlovely. Father, help me to even make it through this day without becoming offended, and without becoming rude and offensive myself. It's pride in another form, and it needs to be done away with.