Daily Devotional
"Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law."
Romans 13:8
Someone will object that the Golden Rule is not unique to Jesus, and that is partly true. The great Rabbi Hillel, teaching shortly before Jesus, was challenged to teach the whole Torah while standing on one leg. He answered, do not do to your neighbor what is hateful to you; this is the whole Torah, the rest is commentary. The same idea appears in Tobit, in Philo, in Confucius, and in Greek writers back to Homer. But listen carefully to how they all say it. Every one of them states it negatively: do not do to others what you would not want done to you. Scholars call that the Silver Rule.
Jesus states the rule positively, and he appears to be the first to do so. Does the difference matter? It matters greatly. In the negative form, the rule can be satisfied by doing nothing. You can keep the Silver Rule from your recliner, never lifting a finger against anyone. The world is full of people whose entire moral resume is I never hurt anybody, and Jesus is not impressed. His positive version is a far more demanding love. Even the negative commands imply positive action; you have not fully obeyed do not murder until you earnestly seek the well being of the person you refuse to kill. Followers of Jesus are to be active in doing good, not merely harmless.
Christian love gets up out of the recliner. It leaves the comfortable place, reaches toward people, and does good rather than simply avoiding harm.
Today's Challenge
Where have you settled for being harmless when Jesus is calling you to be actively helpful? Who is one person you have avoided harming but never actually served?
Prayer
Lord, it is easy to congratulate myself for the wrong I have not done. But you call me off the recliner and into active love. Give me the courage to leave my comfort and seek the good of the people around me. In Jesus' name, Amen.
