Wednesday, March 13, 2013

What is Sin? (part 2)

This is my opinion: Sin is doing the opposite of what love would do.

If we love God, we'll want to do good things, serve God, praise God. If we love other people, we'll want to be there for them, forgive them, cheer them. If we have love in our hearts, we won't be so likely to act out in ways that hurt ourselves, other people, or the world in general.  The kindness and gentleness and courage that comes from love changes everything.

 Jesus could have given us a list of specific "don't"s, but instead he gave us two "do"s that apply to every circumstance and every century:

Matthew 22:34-40
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35 and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Mark 12:28-31 (NRSV)
28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
 
Luke 10:25-28 (NRSV)
25 Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 27 He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

John 13:33-35 (NRSV)
33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Romans 13:8-10 (NRSV)
Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
 
1 Peter 4:8 (NRSV)
Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. 
 
1 John 3:23 (NRSV)
23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.


1 comment:

  1. Concordo contigo e sim sempre é falado de amar o próximo e a importância de o fazermos.

    ReplyDelete