Romans Chapter 13: Verses 8-10 (NIV-UK)
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 neighbour as yourself. ‘Love does no harm to a neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.
Matthew Chapter 28: verses 38-40 (NIV-UK)
This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbour as yourself.”All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’
We all owed a debt to God that we could never pay, so Jesus took that debt on Himself and paid it for us. As a consequence then of this debt being paid, Paul tells the Roman church that the only outstanding debt that we should continue to carry is the one that requires us to love our neighbour. If we do that, then it makes us behave in the way that we are called to as Jesus Himself taught in His final days on earth.
Normally we try and get rid of financial debts as soon as we can, and if we owe anything to anyone, finance or otherwise, we try and pay it back as soon as we can, and that is right. But the debt to love our neighbour, Paul tells us, is not to be discharged as a one-off. He speaks of it as being a continual one, not just when we feel we can, or we are in the mood to. Sometimes that will cost us, in time and effort. Jesus however takes the teaching further. He stresses that it is a commandment. Thus, if we really are one of His followers, we must do as He commands. And we know its not always easy to treat others as we want to be treated ourselves.
Dear Lord,
Thank You for paying the debt that I could never pay. Help me therefore in return to ensure that I am obedient to the two greatest commandments. First to love God with my whole heart and second, to love my neighbour. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.