Gal 5:14-15

"For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!" Gal 5:14-15

In Matthew 22:36-40 Jesus is asked to define the greatest commandment. His response, in brief, is "Love God and love your neighbor as yourself." He said all the law "hangs" on these two. Visualize a ladder hanging on a wall. For it to remain in a horizontal position above the floor, it has to have two hanging points. So it is with the Old Testament Law. It hangs upon these two commandments every bit as much as that ladder hangs on the wall. Jesus is indicating that if we love God with all our heart, soul, and body - everything we have - we will not sin against God.

Likewise, if we love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves, we will never sin against them. In short, we would be perfect if we could just keep these two commandments. Paul simplifies the law a bit more. He says if we love our neighbor as ourselves, we fulfill all the law.

Let's think on this last statement a bit. If I love my neighbor as I love myself, I would never think about stealing his nice new car - after all, I wouldn't want him to steal from me. There's one of the commandments - thou shalt not steal. If I love my neighbor as I love myself, I would not commit adultery with his wife - I wouldn't take kindly to him flirting with mine. Another of the ten commandments is fulfilled - thou shalt not commit adultery. Get the picture? Of course, we've discussed it before when we say that we should prefer each other over ourselves - we need to put others before ourselves in all things. That's just a different way of saying the same thing. But, a funny thing happens when two people get together. Sooner or later one of the pair will become jealous of the other. Grumbling to yourself is one of the first steps towards destruction. Gossip is the next step. Back biting, hatred, perhaps even a knock down drag out fight may conclude the friendship's demise. So follow the law and Love one another. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.