Reflecting on Luke Luke 10:25-28“‘What is written in the Law?’ he replied. ‘How do you read it?'” (Luke 10:26)
Jesus asks two very important questions.
I was raised to know what was written in the Law.
The 10 Commandments were read every Sunday in church.
They were understood in a specific way as well.
For example, the 4th commandment meant specific restrictions about Sundays.
The Sabbath was written in the Law, and Sunday observance is how we read it.
But what no one told me was that this was one way of reading it.
For our community, it was what was written in the Law.
Often people will quote parts of the Law to prove their point.
‘It says in Leviticus ??:??… therefore you should…!’
They are correct, those words are written in the Law.
But they are not admitting that this or that is how they read it.
Nowhere in the Law is it written that we should worship on Sunday.
Or that Sunday is the new Sabbath.
In addition, their interpretation assumes that we are under the Law.
The bible also says we are not under the Law (Romans 6:14-15, Galatians 5:18).
To which they respond, ‘but that doesn’t mean…’
Exactly, the words do not necessarily mean what they say.
The critical question is ‘How do you read it?’
This expert in the Law answers Jesus’s question correctly.
“He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10:27)
According to Jesus, this is how we ought to read the Law.
Every law, command and practice in the Moses Law has this meaning.
It is written in the specific culture and context of the ancient near east.
And so we need to glean from the specifics how love in those situations works.
But love, not law, is the focus.
This is how I read (interpret, understand) the Law.
As I see it, there are actually only two laws in God’s Law.
There are many applications for Moses and Israel.
If you love God and your neighbour in the ancient near east, it looks like this.
The specifics are not eternal because we do not live in that specific context.
But the underlying principle endures: do not harm others, but help them!
In the next section Jesus will unpack how love preempts law.
But for now, we need to hear what Jesus says about the meaning of the Law.
“Do this and you will live.” (Luke 10:28)
Love God and love your neighbour as yourself.
If we do this, we will live fully, and experience eternal life.
The man asked about inheriting eternal life, which sounds like ‘get into heaven’.
Jesus answers that this is the way that we will live.
If you love, you will live NOW, not just in some unknown future.
If I want to LIVE now, as God made me to LIVE, I need to do this.
How do I obey the Sabbath?
By using it as an opportunity to practice my love for God, and for others.
That may mean meeting with others for worship.
Or it may mean helping my neighbour with a need that they have.
As Jesus said elsewhere, “it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:12)
This is how I read the Law: it is pointing me in the direction of doing something.
Specifically, doing something good, beneficial, helpful, compassionate, gracious.
God has shown me the meaning of the Law, by loving me through Jesus.
When I consider HOW Jesus loved me, I am comforted, convicted and compelled.
This is how Jesus wants me to love God and others too.
With all of my being, in a humble, gracious self-denying other-blessing way.
If I want to LIVE to the full, I need to LOVE to the full!
Jesus promises, “Do this and you will live.” (Luke 10:28)
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, this is how I read the Law. Not just following the words, but following their intent: love. Help me not to be an expert in the Law; help me to be an expert in Love. Not just knowing about it, but doing it!