October 21, 2019
Romans 13:8-10
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.  The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
New International Version (NIV)
                Doesn’t it feel good to get out of debt?  Paul says, “Let no debt remain outstanding.”  Someone rewrote the Disney Snow White classic song to describe their attitude towards work.  “I owe.  I owe.  It’s off to work I go.”  Without question, a credit based economy creates obligations.  What sets Christians apart from a secular society?  Minimally, we pay our bills.  By the way, many who do not claim to be Christ-followers do this as well.  If we disciples of Jesus contract with someone to do something, and they do it, we pay them. 

                So what do we really owe?   Love.  It is the one bill that we never pay in full.  We begin as Jesus taught, by loving God with all (Matthew 22:37-39).  But loving God is not our only obligation.  We also love our neighbors.  When we love them well, we do not break the part of the ten commandments which addresses our human relationships.  If we love, we don’t commit adultery, murder, steal or covet.

                “Whew!” we may think. “I haven’t done any of those things.” If we breathe a sigh of relief about our lack of indebtedness on those issues, Paul reminds us that the beginning of love is a bit like the Hippocratic oath taken by physicians, “Do no harm.”  Today we owe it to our families, our church, our neighbors to do them no harm.  So love is the fulfillment of the law.  Why do we owe love to others?  Where will we find the love to give?  It has been given to us in Christ.  “For God so loved the world . . .” including us.  So we love.  We owe.  We owe.  Let’s get to work, loving our neighbors.
Pray with me:       
Father, we thank you for your unfailing love today.  Thank you for loving us no matter what.  Let the seed of love you have planted in our hearts grow to full bloom.  Let us love our neighbors today.  All of our neighbors.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen. 
This year our Every Day with Jesus readings will follow The Bible Project Read Scripture Plan.  Copies of this reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download 
the app at readscripture.org.  Read through the Bible with us in 2019!
Joyfully, 
Duane 
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