As we have begun to discuss the warrior's code more in class I hope you all have been inspired to not only meditate on the meaning of such things as repect, humility and self-control but have also been putting them to use. Life is challenging and one of the biggest challenges is being able to put others before us. To look out for the better interest of our neighbor rather than our own. Some of us may have no problem doing this in certain ways but then we fall short in other ways. For instanse, it is much easier to give when you have something to give. If you have extra money and you want to help a friend out by giving them some, it may not be so hard to do for some of us. Things seem to change when someone asks something of us that is going to cause us to struggle, sweat, put us in an uncomfortable position or to actually make a sacrifice. We all have a comfort zone that we work with but once we are challenged to step out of it, we go numb.
When it comes to things that help us to put our neighbor first, things such as respect, humility and self-control, we fall into the same pattern. We can show respect as long as we are being respected. We can be humble as long as it's not humiliating. We all fall short of the warrior's code. The warrior's code can now be summed up and fullfilled through two seemingly simple commandments:
* Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength
* And Love your nieghbor as yourself
If we could do these two things, the world would be a much greater place. Yet there is alot to those two commandments. Christ Himself said that God's whole law is summed up in these. The tem commandments are basically about better ways to love God and love your neighbor. Why do we have such a hard time obeying them then? Because we are selfish people. Think about it. I could easily say that the ten commandments are ten ways not to be selfish. They are much more than that but selfishness is a huge part of it. I know I am often a selfish person. Therein lies the beauty of Christ. Christ not only calls us to be humble but He makes us humble. Christ not only calls us to be kind but He makes me kind. Christ not only calls me to love but He makes me love. He doesn't hold me at gun point and say "Love or die", that is not what I mean by "makes". He fills me with love and kindness, peace, joy and all that He requires of me. And when I fail, he gives me the humility to repent or to change my ways. Whether it be the ten commandments or the the code which we talk about in class, which are just attributes that help us obey the ten commandments, we can not live up to them at the level God has required without the power of God Himself.
Sure you can say, I never murdered any one but God says murder is in the heart. If you have anger against a brother you have murdered him all ready. His judgment starts in the heart just as our actions start from our heart. What the Lord offers us is peace, harmony, love, purpose and all that we so desire but chase after it in every other way. These will never be found unless the God of peace finds us first. A man can only find a bride and a women can only find a groom when they both are in love. Christ is like a groom searching for His bride and His bride is the church. Not those who simply go to church but those who love, respect and honor and obey God. Now those who love, respect and honor and obey God, will surely also be those who love and respect their neighbor just the same.
Matthew 5:43-48
43(A) "You have heard that it was said,(B) 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I say to you,(C) Love your enemies and(D) pray for those who persecute you, 45(E) so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and(F) sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46(G) For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers,[a] what more are you doing than others? Do not even(H) the Gentiles do the same? 48(I) You therefore must be(J) perfect,(K) as your heavenly Father is perfect.
1 John 4:19-21
19(A) We love because he first loved us. 20(B) If anyone says, "I love God," and(C) hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot[a] love God(D) whom he has not seen. 21And(E) this commandment we have from him:(F) whoever loves God must also love his brother.
1 John 3:16-18
16By this we know love, that(A) he laid down his life for us, and(B) we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But(C) if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet(D) closes his heart against him,(E) how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not(F) love in word or talk but in deed and(G) in truth.
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