Romans 13:8-10

SCRIPTURE

Romans 13:8-10
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

COMMENT

The one who loves has fulfilled the law. But what if one has a messed up notion of what love is? I have heard a lot of different ideas of what love is. Have you ever heard, "Love means never having to say you are sorry?" I can't think of a much more messed up idea of love than that. You hurt someone, then I suppose they are just supposed to forgive you without ever discussing it. Sounds like something made up by an abusive spouse. It says in this passage, that love does no wrong to a neighbor. Is that why we never have to say, "Sorry!" How many of us can love like that?

I believe that to love is to admit your shortcomings, to talk about the times that you may have been hurt or hurt someone else. Love is the delicate balance between giving everything for others without becoming a doormat. But maybe my idea of love is messed up.

Commandments are mentioned, let's just take the first one, don't commit adultery. Jesus said that to look at another woman lustfully was to commit adultery. What about not committing murder? Jesus said to insult your brother makes you liable to the council, to call them a fool and you are liable for hell. I hope you get the idea. Love is more than just obeying the law.