(remember, these are unedited/draft show notes, not a transcript — listening is always better…and if you listen AND follow along below, you’ll see why)
Focus Question:
What’s the relationship of love and rules?
Intro:
Aaaand a very happy Friday the 13th to you. One of my favorite days of the year, always expecting good things to happen. Long story there, but I look forward to Friday the 13ths for my own fun, superstitious reasons (no, I’m not really superstitious).
Jesus is alive, amen?
And by the way, today’s focus question will take it’s cue from the last thing we’ll read in Proverbs…What’s the relationship of love and rules?
New Testament segment:
A couple days ago in our NT segment I mentioned that Mark repeatedly uses a literary device of sandwiching one thing in between two others — and the effect is to spotlight the thing in the middle and, of course, make a point. Today toward the end of our reading you’ll hear two stories of faith, and in between is a story of fear.
Passage: Mark 5
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 43
Words: ~910
Did you hear the stories of faith and fear? Here’s this lady who’s got this issue…and apparently she’s more afraid of sickness and death than approaching this healer whom she’s in awe of. And right next to that are stories of Jesus telling one family not to be afraid of death in light of their belief and another group who have no faith and therefore laugh at Him. Remember our encouragement yesterday being something that you might need in the face of ridicule. Believe, my friends, believe.
Old Testament segment:
Ok, today’s a bit more of that weird stuff, but tomorrow’s an image of beauty, trust me. Yesterday I mentioned that we’re get into a section (and we’ll finish it today) that speaks of the restoration of justice and the right worship procedures and calendar. Remember, the promise here — and you’ll hear it at the end of today’s reading — is that there will be a new, permanent Prince who will deliver all these things.
Passage: Ezekiel 45:13-46:24
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 37
Words: ~1081
So let’s review, because this is important. What did we just hear about?
The key elements for worship at the new spiritual center include fair land distribution (45:1–8), economic justice (45:9–12), offerings (45:13–17), keeping the new worship calendar (45:18–25), and the prince’s observance of law and order (46:1–18).(1)
Remember, this is prophecy of something yet future. I don’t know exactly what it’ll look like, and I doubt it will look like this, but the Bible uses lots of analogical imagery, so I’m okay with that. What we just heard about is…loving God, and loving others. Falling more in love with Jesus and the people in His world — because we’ll be with them.
Wisdom segment:
Passage: Proverbs 10:12-17
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 6
Words: ~95
The bottom line:
What’s the relationship of love and rules?
Remember this: Jesus said,
If you love me, you will keep my commands. Jn 14:15, CSB
So if Jesus said he gives you commands — rules that we like to not like — it doesn’t mean there aren’t things you should and shouldn’t do. But notice the order here — if we love Him, our lives will begin to naturally conform to the way He ordered the universe. And all His commands are in perfect harmony with His design of things.
And this is the big and unique distinction between Christianity and all other world religions and philosophies that say, “Do this, and get to God.” Christians overly influenced by the world adopt this and try to earn their way to God, too. But Jesus said, “I loved you first, when you still hated me and were deep in your junk, God came to you. Now, go and do likewise.” It just so happens that loving Him and the people in His world also happen to be things we can state propositionally… do this. And, I guess, you’d call that a rule (which means measure).
What’s the relationship of love and rules? Love comes first, but they inseparably go together.
I love you! Amen? Amen!
ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.
Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.
Sources and resources:
(1) D. A. Carson, ed., NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 1481.