Love: the means and the end

‘Love is the fulfilment of the law’ states Paul in Romans 13. In order to fully understand what an incredible statement this is, you have to understand a little bit about the place of the law (or the Torah) within the Jewish worldview. The law was a gift from God to his chosen people that enabled them to live within a covenant relationship with him. Obedience to the law was never a means of earning a right to that relationship (which was purely a gift). Instead it was an expression of love to the God who had rescued his people from slavery in Egypt and pledged himself to them in a covenant relationship. Obedience and worship has and will always be a response to God’s extravagant mercy and grace. As the Apostle John puts it: ‘we love because he first loved us.’

The law was therefore a little bit like a wedding ring – a precious gift that not only speaks of commitment and love, but also sets the person apart as belonging to someone else. The law was what set Israel apart as a people belonging to God. And within the context of the Old Testament, honouring this covenant relationship was the means to living within the circle of God’s blessing. It was also one of the means by which Israel could be a light to the nations: showing the world the generosity and kindness of their God.

The problem was, that for many, the law ceased to be an expression of their love for God. Instead it became a duty they felt obliged to live by. And when the hard work of loving one another is replaced by a simple set of rules, things begin to go wrong. But here Paul reminds us that at its very core, the law is about loving God and loving one another. And in the same way that the law set the people of Israel apart from other nations, so Paul suggests that it is our love for one another that sets us apart as children of the light (or children of the age to come). And with this idea we can hear the echoes of Jesus: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

So why is this idea of being set apart so important? The bible tells us that holiness (literally meaning ‘set apart’) is never about withdrawing from society in holy huddles. Such holy huddles can never be the means of demonstrating God’s love and light to the world around us. Instead, holiness is about being set apart for a purpose. Rather than encouraging withdrawal from society, it demands meaningful engagement with society. But instead of engaging on the world’s terms, it involves engaging on God’s terms. Such holy engagement never asks what can the world offer me. Rather, the key questions become what can I give to the world, and how can I demonstrate God’s love to these people.

So how do we live as people of the light in a dark world? Or using another Pauline image, how do we live as citizens of heaven here on earth? The answer is simple: we love our neighbours as ourselves. And in doing so the law is fulfilled: for love is both the means and the end in the Christian life.