Christian Living

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Under the old Law there were commands of pre-eminent importance, and other commands that were less weighty. Jesus sternly reprimanded the scribes and Pharisees for NOT keeping the weightier matters, but keeping instead those of lesser importance:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithes of mint, anise and cumin, but have omitted the weightier matters of the law: judgment, mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, and not left the other undone." Matt. 23:23

But under the law of grace and truth which came by Jesus' death on an old wooden cross, there are only two Great Commandments: Love God with all your, heart, mind, soul and strength, and love one another with the love with which Jesus loved you. For emphasis, Jesus told the rich young ruler, "There are no greater commandments than these." Christian behavior is defined by how well it fits under the umbrella of these two commandments. That will preserve the "unity of the spirit in the bond of peace". Jesus prayed in John 17 that His people might all be one. Interestingly enough, we hold in our hands the answer to the dear Savior's prayer. We are, however, often guilty of the "mint, anise and cumin" syndrome. Please read Romans 14 as an example of that in Paul's time. We manage to give equal import to traditions, customs, preferences, man-made dogma, endlessly, and to our shame, sunder the unity of believers. Same old Pharisaical error. We judge and bite and devour one another over matters that won't survive this world. None of that fits under the umbrella of Jesus' Two Great Commandments and ought not to be found among the followers of Christ. Jesus said, "The world will know you are my disciples if you love one another." What will they know about us if we don't love one another?

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