The Law of Love

I am not a theologian or a Bible teacher.  Still, sometimes if you don't state the obvious, over time it is forgotten.  So, for what it's worth, here's a little reminder of what has historically been accepted Christian doctrine regarding the question:

Is it sin to be unloving?

In Matthew 22 a lawyer asked Jesus,  “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 

And he said to him, “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.”

From this well-known passage we see three things (at least):

-Jesus considers loving others a commandment.

-Jesus considers loving others the second greatest commandment, second only to loving God Himself.

-Jesus considers all the rest of the Law (including the commands about things we readily accept as sin like adultery, murder, stealing) as hinging on these two commandments.

Is it sin to disobey the greatest commandment?  And is it sin to disobey the other commandments?  So then what about this second greatest commandment?  Is it sin to disobey it and be unloving? 

Granted, in different church circles we can confuse "caring" for others with genuine love, and that "care" can have all sorts of connotations and demands with it- making phone calls, having conversations with others, asking particular questions, meeting specific physical needs.  Jesus is not commanding any one culture's definition of "care."  If you look at all of Jesus' teaching, I think it's hard to condense his definition of love down to any formula.  It is much broader and deeper than that.  But I think most of us know when someone loves us, and we know when they don't.  And Jesus says God's command is love.

I'm not writing this post because I think I'm good at loving people.  I am very aware that that's a big weakness of mine.  In the last year, I've been confronted by my inability to even know what love is, let alone do it.  I am thankful for the mercy and grace of God.  But that doesn't change His commands. 

End Public Service Announcement.  Thanks for listening!