In the summertime, I like to re-read some of the books I have enjoyed in the past. This summer, that means I have read about Jimmy Carter’s growing up on a farm; Tony Dungy’s balance of faith, family, and football; and Trappist Monk Thomas Merton’s observations on life.
Currently, I’m re-reading Scot McKnight’s “The Jesus Creed.” McKnight is an author and New Testament professor at Northern Seminary in Illinois. What he calls the Jesus Creed is Jesus’ response to a teacher who asked him about the greatest commandment. Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” He also said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Frankly, I found the book a little long and tedious, but the re-read drew me into focus on the great teachings of Jesus and challenged me to re-read them.
Familiarity can often lead to people and things being taken for granted. The same can occur with the teachings of Jesus, especially if we’ve been in church for a long time and have heard them over and over again. We don’t take time to let their real meaning sink in. And, more importantly, we don’t take time to let them change our lives.
Loving God with all we have and all we are changes our lives. And that’s also what happens when we re-read the second half of this greatest commandment – love your neighbor as yourself. Our pastors are preaching a series of sermons this month titled, “Togetherness.” The sermons are all about relationships, and we’re being reminded that we are to love even our enemies and strangers, as well as friends and family.
But whom does that include: On another occasion, recorded in Luke’s gospel, an expert of the law quoted this same greatest commandment as the way to inherit eternal life. Jesus confirmed his answer, but the man – being a lawyer! – wanted more clarification. “Who is my neighbor?” he asked.
That’s when Jesus told the famous and familiar Parable of the Good Samaritan, about the man who was beaten and robbed and left on the side of the road half dead. Two religious leaders came by, but crossed over to the other side of the road and left him there. Then a stranger, a foreigner – and in some Jews’ eyes, an enemy – came by, stopped, bandaged the man’s wounds, an found him a place to stay. Jesus asked the expert, “Who was a neighbor to this man?” The expert replied, “The one who showed mercy.”
Re-reading Jesus’ teachings reminds us we are to love like he did. Today’s culture is more focused on division than unity. I’m right, and you’re wrong. And too often, on social media or in the public square or elsewhere – that means I will say words that show anything but love. My mother always said (and maybe your’s did, too), “If you can’t say something good about another person, don’t say anything.”
Jesus never said we all have to agree. He himself got in deep trouble for disagreeing with the authorities. But he did say we are to love one another. There are no exceptions. Color or culture or religion or ideology don’t matter. Just love them.
I don’t know whether you have a Bible-reading plan at this time (there’s one on the FPC website). If you don’t, may I suggest you start reading – or re-reading – the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They are full of Jesus’ teachings that can change your life. They begin with the two-part, greatest commandment to love, and they include trusting God, forgiving others, humility, seeking God’s kingdom, serving, making peace, and many more.
I’m pledging right now to re-read Jesus teachings more, not just as part of my summer re-reading plan, but all year long. And I’m praying that will help me live Jesus’ teachings better. I hope you’ll join me.
by Rev. Richard Phillips, Care Ministry Coordinator