2006-11-16 06:15:00
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14)
So, what are the commandments that the disciple is expected to obey? For the ancient Israelite the thought of obeying the Ten Commandments, the laws of Moses and the sayings of the prophets would come to mind. On the other hand, Jesus put a twist on this meaning by giving out the principle that underlies all the commandments:
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Matthew 22:35-40
So why is loving our neighbor like loving God? Because God is in our neighbor as well as ourselves.
Matthew 22:40 is the key verse leading us to the principle:
"On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
This tells us that every law, every commandment and every inspired saying of the biblical prophets is based on the higher law of love.
Let us take just one commandment - "Thou shalt not steal."
Now, if one really loves his brother will he steal from him? No, he will not. In fact the commandment could be written this way - "If you love your brother, you will not steal from him."
Paul expanded on this principle by saying:
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. (2 Corinthians 3:6)
Following a commandment or teaching mechanically with a black and white mindset kills the love behind the words. Instead, the seeker will suffer restriction, meanness of spirit, suppression and lack (or complete absence) of love.
The real key to following the principle behind the commandments is to look to the God of love within the heart and use the best possible judgment to follow the direction that it leads.
The day when people would realize this was predicted by Jeremiah:
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Jeremiah 31:33-34
This day has been looked for by prophets long before Jesus, in which black and white commandments would not be needed because the law of love will be written in our "inward parts."
Jesus summed the principle up in another way in the form of the Golden Rule:
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. (Matt 7:12)
The latter part of verse 14 (Revelations 22:14) tells us that those who keep the commandments "...have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."
However, this right comes not through the letter but through the spirit. Only when true love is manifest can the life of God grow within.
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. (Revelation 22:15)
This repeats some items from a previous list with two new ones. The first is "dogs." Why would dogs be considered so vile that they cannot enter the New Jerusalem?
In ancient Jerusalem dogs were rarely taken as pets but were somewhat wild, savage and scavengers. Someone hateful or an enemy was often called a dog.
It is amazing that humanity has had such a change of heart toward dogs, that they are now called "man's best friend." It just goes to show what a little love can do, even for an animal.
Male prostitutes were also called dogs by the Jews so it is possible that this verse refers to them. Whatever the case, a dog here definitely refers to a repulsive or vile person.
The other thing that is new is the phrase "whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."
It is interesting that the greater the sin against the law of love the greater is the temptation to lie. We all recognize that murder is one of the worst things we can do and almost all murderers will tell any lie possible to escape detection.
But the lie that is considered evil here is by one who loves. When a person is committed to one person and falls in love (or lust) with another he will almost always lie to cover it up. He covers it up so his normal life can go on, so his spouse or partner will still accept him.
It is interesting indeed that the lie in an adulterous relationship is condemned more than the betrayal itself. This is because it is the lie that causes a dark cloud to gather between our consciousness and our soul. The lie usually causes more damage than the act that caused the lie.
A person can cause great transgression and honestly face the repercussions and move forward, but if he lies the dark cloud that follows slows his progression and often causes him to become lost to his own soul. This is a great tragedy that must eventually be faced and overcome.
A kleptomaniac is a person who helps himself because he can't help himself.
Henry Morgan
Copyright © 2006 by J J Dewey, All Rights Reserved