(This sermon is part of Dr. Manuel's sermon series: "What is Foremost?" Links to
each of the sermons in the series will be found here as they are posted.)
As time passes and people get older, their memory is often not as sharp as it used to be.
In our consideration of What Is Foremost, we noted Jesus' identification of The Foremost Commandment, which is to love God. Jesus then proceeds to address a related matter. Please turn to Matt 22 where Jesus discusses...
II. The Foremost Complement1
...to that command, which is...
1. Your priorities must include other precepts.
Moreover, despite the importance of loving God, you must not act as if He is your only concern, as if life is just about you and God.
2. Your priorities must include other people.
...in particular, "your neighbor."
Like his earlier reply to this scribe, Jesus' quotation is from the Pentateuch, the foundational repository of God's word for God's people, this time, from the book of Leviticus. We tend to view New Testament quotations of Old Testament passages in isolation, as if, having made their way into the New Testament, they no longer have anything to do with their original context. Not so, and it is often only by considering the Old Testament context that we understand the significance of a quotation's appearance in the New Testament. We also tend to view Old Testament quotations more broadly than they were meant originally and more broadly than their audience in Jesus' day may have understood them, an expansion that would be completely unwarranted.
I raise this, because without reading carefully, one might get the wrong idea about what Jesus regards as the second greatest commandment, especially about who—after God—should be the object of His people's love. Lev 19, whence this precept comes, addresses a host of issues, from preventing idolatry and immorality to promoting holiness and justice.4 It also deals with interpersonal relations, namely the proper treatment of those who are native-born and those who are foreign-born, that is, those who belong to God's people and those who do not. God treats these two groups separately and in different sections of the chapter.5 The passage Jesus quotes, and the one he identifies as the second greatest commandment, is God's instruction for how His people should behave toward each other. In other words, "your neighbor" in Lev 19 and Matt 22 is not just anyone but is a fellow member of God's family.6 This does not mean that those who are part of God's family can ignore or be rude to those who are not part of God's family, but that God's people must give preference to God's people. This distinction is similar to the one Paul makes in his letter to the Galatians.
Are there specific ways God expects you to apply this precept? Indeed there are. When the New Testament quotes the Old Testament it is often as a pointer to the Old Testament context, and this verse in Lev 19 culminates a series of instructions about how God's people should apply this precept in their relations with one another. Look at vv. 10-18. While some verses apply to specific occupations (e.g., farming) or to specific occasions (e.g., litigating), most of these admonitions are general enough that you could probably see where one or another might obtain in your own dealings with fellow believers. Listen as I read some of them and ask yourself to what situation in your own experience a precept here relates and how it indicates the proper way for you to "love your neighbor."
God is concerned about how you relate to all people, but He is especially concerned about how you relate to His people. Jesus said...7
Having considered The Foremost Complement, we will look next at The Foremost Commitment, which promotes the program of God, in Matt 6:31,33.
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
Two elderly men were sitting on a park bench in Miami, appreciating the sunshine. They had been meeting in that park every day for many years, chatting and enjoying each other's company. One day, the younger of the two, turns to the other and says, "Please don't be upset with me. I'm embarrassed but, after all these years, I just can't remember your name. I've been trying to recall it, but I just can't." The older friend stares at him, obviously distressed, but says nothing. Finally, he replies..."How soon do you have to know?"Even if you have not experienced this feature of getting older, you have probably encountered other challenges to your recall ability. For those in the first century, one of their challenges was to remember all the precepts God expected His people to keep. To help with that task, the rabbis developed several summaries, including the one Jesus preferred.
In our consideration of What Is Foremost, we noted Jesus' identification of The Foremost Commandment, which is to love God. Jesus then proceeds to address a related matter. Please turn to Matt 22 where Jesus discusses...
II. The Foremost Complement1
...to that command, which is...
- The pairing by God (Matt 22:39)
Matt 22:39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'Jesus is responding to a question that a scribe has posed in order to test the rabbi's understanding of God's word. As I mentioned, there were several summaries of the many precepts the Lord gave to His people. What this scribe wants to know is which summary Jesus prefers.
Matt 22:36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"The parallel account in Mark shows that this is not a trick question. The scribe is not trying to trap Jesus but is genuinely interested in his reply.3 Jesus answers the question but says that keeping one precept, no matter how important, is not enough.
1. Your priorities must include other precepts.
Moreover, despite the importance of loving God, you must not act as if He is your only concern, as if life is just about you and God.
2. Your priorities must include other people.
...in particular, "your neighbor."
Like his earlier reply to this scribe, Jesus' quotation is from the Pentateuch, the foundational repository of God's word for God's people, this time, from the book of Leviticus. We tend to view New Testament quotations of Old Testament passages in isolation, as if, having made their way into the New Testament, they no longer have anything to do with their original context. Not so, and it is often only by considering the Old Testament context that we understand the significance of a quotation's appearance in the New Testament. We also tend to view Old Testament quotations more broadly than they were meant originally and more broadly than their audience in Jesus' day may have understood them, an expansion that would be completely unwarranted.
I raise this, because without reading carefully, one might get the wrong idea about what Jesus regards as the second greatest commandment, especially about who—after God—should be the object of His people's love. Lev 19, whence this precept comes, addresses a host of issues, from preventing idolatry and immorality to promoting holiness and justice.4 It also deals with interpersonal relations, namely the proper treatment of those who are native-born and those who are foreign-born, that is, those who belong to God's people and those who do not. God treats these two groups separately and in different sections of the chapter.5 The passage Jesus quotes, and the one he identifies as the second greatest commandment, is God's instruction for how His people should behave toward each other. In other words, "your neighbor" in Lev 19 and Matt 22 is not just anyone but is a fellow member of God's family.6 This does not mean that those who are part of God's family can ignore or be rude to those who are not part of God's family, but that God's people must give preference to God's people. This distinction is similar to the one Paul makes in his letter to the Galatians.
Gal 6:10 [A]s we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.This is probably a distinction you already recognized, even if you did not realize it has biblical support.
Are there specific ways God expects you to apply this precept? Indeed there are. When the New Testament quotes the Old Testament it is often as a pointer to the Old Testament context, and this verse in Lev 19 culminates a series of instructions about how God's people should apply this precept in their relations with one another. Look at vv. 10-18. While some verses apply to specific occupations (e.g., farming) or to specific occasions (e.g., litigating), most of these admonitions are general enough that you could probably see where one or another might obtain in your own dealings with fellow believers. Listen as I read some of them and ask yourself to what situation in your own experience a precept here relates and how it indicates the proper way for you to "love your neighbor."
11 Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.
12 Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
13 Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him. Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.
14 Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD.
15 Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
16 Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the LORD.
17 Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt.
18 Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.These instructions indicate how God expects His people to behave toward one another. Are they indicative of your behavior? ...Did you notice the repeated phrase that seems to punctuate these verses? ..."I am the LORD." By stating and restating His connection to these precepts, God underscores that their authority rests with Him, and that your compliance demonstrates your recognition of who He is and of the claim He has on your life.
God is concerned about how you relate to all people, but He is especially concerned about how you relate to His people. Jesus said...7
John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.This is The Foremost Complement to The Foremost Commandment, and it is what sets God's people apart from other people. It also represents the consistent message of the scriptures, both Old Testament and New Testament, the message we should be communicating to a watching world. Are we? ...Are you?
Having considered The Foremost Complement, we will look next at The Foremost Commitment, which promotes the program of God, in Matt 6:31,33.
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
(This sermon is part of Dr. Manuel's sermon series: "What is Foremost?" Links to each of the sermons in the series will be found here as they are posted)
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Jim Skaggs