Jesus commands: Love!

In the Ten Commandments, God gave us our marching orders! Those directives are meant to instruct, guide, and transform our daily lives and develop the right kind of relationship with God, ourselves, and other people.

Revisiting those commandments or “Ten Words” in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5, we might think we’ve obeyed them all, and externally speaking, that may be true. But Jesus gets into our minds and hearts with His one command: “Love one another as I love you,” John 15:12.

Not only would that one commandment fulfill all ten, but this marching order takes the Golden Rule to a higher level. i.e., Instead of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” we’re told to treat one another the way Jesus would treat us – with relentless love.

This doesn’t just mean to love each other the way we love ourselves since that might not be nearly enough! We’re to love each other the way Jesus loves us – nearly and dearly. Then, as we believe in, accept, and receive Jesus’ love, we’re ready to let His love fill us and overflow.

Mary Sayler on John 15:12 and the Ten Commandments as found in the many translations on Bible Gateway

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Deck yourself out in love

Colossians 3:12-17

You are God’s chosen ones –
the holy elect –
dearly loved!

Now clothes yourselves
in mercy, kindness,
gentleness, and patience,
so you can bear up
under complaints
and forgive one another
as the Lord has forgiven you.

Beyond this
clothe yourself in love –
the perfect bond –

and let the peace of Christ
control your hearts.

You’re called to be
One Body in peace,
so be thankful!

Let the word of Christ live
in you richly
as you teach
and exhort one another
with wisdom,
singing Psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs
with hearts given in grace
to God.

And whatever you do –
whether in words or actions –
do all in the Name
of the Lord Jesus
with thanks to God our Father
to Whom we belong
in Christ.

© 2015, Mary Harwell Sayler prayer-a-phrased today’s reading from Colossians with help from the many translations on Bible Gateway.

Love builds the body of Christ

As diverse peoples get together, problems arise! Rarely do the difficulties come from hypocrisy or anything false or pretentious but, more likely, from differing ways of interpreting, communicating, and acting on biblical truths.

The early church dealt with this so often that the Epistles frequently speak of inspired ways to work through cultural clashes. However, in today’s reading from Ephesians, the Apostle Paul calls on Christians to do more than just get along. He calls on them (and us!) to love one another and see one another as a vital and gifted part of the Body of Christ – not only as God envisions us but as the Holy Spirit equips us to be.

Writing from prison Paul exhorts the Christians in Ephesus – and everywhere – to get God’s boundless vision of who we are in Him:

As the Lord’s own captive,
I beg you
to lead a life worthy of the calling
to which you have been called.

With all humility, gentleness,
and patience,
accept one another
in love,

doing everything you can
to keep united in the Spirit,
tied with bonds
of peace.

One body, one Spirit calls you
to one hope, one Lord,
one faith, one baptism,

one God and Father of all,
Who is above all and through all

and in all of you!

In Christ,
each of us has grace
in varying measure.

To some, Christ gave gifts
to be apostles, some prophets,
some the ability to go tell
the Good News, some to shepherd
or teach God’s people, but all
equipped to minister to others
and build up the Body of Christ

as we come us together
in the unity of faith
and knowledge of God’s Son –
maturing into the fullness of Christ.

No longer must we be children,
tossed about by personal preferences
or blown away by anything new!
Nor are we to be tricked
or scheme to get our way.

No! Speaking the truth in love,
we will grow up and into Christ,

the Head by Whom the whole
Body of The Anointed One
is joined and knitted together –

ligament by ligament
(person by person)

until each works well together
and helps the church body
to build strength
and grow strong in love.


© 2013, Mary Sayler, prayer-a-phrase of Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16. All rights reserved, but pass it on!

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