Ezekiel 33:7-11 Psalm 119:33-40 Romans 13:8-14 Matthew 18:15-20

Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

The Apostle Paul continues in his letter to the people of Rome.  “Love is the fulfilling of the law,” he writes.  Love is a word we use much too casually; law is a word that we misconstrue.

God’s law was set down in writing in the Ten Commandments during the time of the Israelites sojourn in the Wilderness.  We think of laws negatively as something that restricts us or threatens punishment.  Jesus, many centuries later, clarified God’s commandments as the first, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind; and the second that is like unto it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”   Jesus teaches us that God’s law is not a legalistic unattainable checklist set down by a wrath-filled God who desires to punish us; God’s law, from the time of creation of humankind is intended to guide us in living in relationship with one another.  It is all about relationship.

Jesus did not eliminate eight commandments; Jesus explained, more basically, that the Ten Commandments first enlighten us as to how we are to live in relationship with God – honoring God and worshiping God above any other; and, then, as to how we are to live in relationship with one another.

Paul reiterates these guidelines for living in human relationship – do not commit adultery, murder, steal, or covet.  We can interpret these commandments at face value based upon fundamental understanding; but, it is more important to dig deeper into just how these sinful hurtful elements of our relationships can be expanded to include a much broader understanding of the many ways we hurt one another: we adulterate whenever we exploit the Church as a weapon for our own self-seeking purposes; we steal joy when we are unfaithful in our commitment to one another; we kill one another’s self-esteem with our cruel words; we allow our jealousies of one another to rob and misdirect our energy.  Throughout our faith journey, we progress to a clearer understanding of the many ways we violate our commandment to love one another – we violate those commandments in ways that too often escape our awareness.

And, so, we come to God in prayer; we seek time alone with God.  Yet, Jesus says, “where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”  Is Jesus not there when we are “alone” with God?  Think of your prayers this morning or last evening.  What was the main focus of your prayer – likely your prayers were focused on those you love, or perhaps someone with whom your relationship is fractured, or even a stranger with whose struggles you can relate.

Our time alone with God, still, is focused on the nurturance of relationship with others.  It is all about relationship.  Our time in prayer is time spent seeking God’s guidance in seeing more clearly, sometimes with brutal honesty, just how it is that we thwart our heathy relationship with others.  Our time in prayer is time to put away the facades and come to see ourselves, others, and God in the way God intends.  When healthy relationships are fractured, we are diminished in our ability to carry out God’s call to us.  Our faith journey is constant movement toward healthy God-filled relationships.

How are we to understand LAW as guidance in relationship.  As much as we try, we cannot legislate human relationships.  We can institute laws against violence and laws seeking to control actions that degrade and exploit the human family, but we cannot legislate the root cause of the anger that leads to shattered lives and relationships.  And, no legislation can erase the hurt and mistrust that are the cause and effect of broken family relationships.  Jesus charges us to strive for the ideal in seeking to mend the root causes of broken relationships – to experience the presence of Jesus Christ whenever two or three are gathered together.  This is our mission and ministry that is our focus of celebration on as the Body of Christ.

We are encouraged to keep seeking the gift of God’s guidance through the joy-filled times and the difficult times; God’s Law is set down for this purpose.  God is faithful, and faithfulness requires relationship.  Through faith with God’s guidance, we learn to love our neighbors without fear – to abide in love – to follow the law of the new commandment – to listen for our own personal calling to ministry.

We come together for God’s guidance in mending and strengthening our relationships and we go forth from here with God’s guidance to love and serve the Lord in peace – seeking to mend the broken relationships of our world.  Where two or three are gathered – wherever there is human relationship – God through Jesus Christ is there.