Sabbath: The Stranger in Your Gates
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Mark 12:29-31, Deuteronomy 10:1-19, Psalm 146:5-10, Matthew 7:12, Deuteronomy 27:19, James 1:27-2:11.
Memory Text: “Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:19).
As we read last week, when asked by a scribe about “the first commandment of all” (Mark 12:28), Jesus answered by giving the affirmation of God as one, and then He said: “And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment” (Mark 12:30).
However, Jesus continued, talking then about the “second, like it” (Mark 12:31), something that the scribe hadn’t asked about. Nevertheless, Jesus, knowing how important it was, said: “And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:31).
No commandment greater than these? Jesus linked love for God and love for one’s neighbor to each other as the two greatest commandments, and those commandments were the greatest of all.
Again, Jesus wasn’t coming up with something new, something that the Jews hadn’t heard before. Instead, the call to love Him supremely — the idea of loving one’s neighbor and of loving other people as a way to express our love for God was, yes, taken from the book of Deuteronomy.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 30.
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The biggest problem we face in preaching the Gospel in the modern secular world is not what we believe, but the dissonance (or the perceived dissonance) between what we teach and how we behave.
A couple of quotes from Mahatma Gandhi to think about this week:
What do my neighbours/workmates/acquaintances say about my Christianity?
Wow! This quote is very deep and a thing of concern for all Christians.
This quote is very deep and a thing of reflection for all Christians.
How is my Christian lifestyle?
Maurice - I was not aware of Mahatma Gandhi's familiarity with Christ. His statements are evidence of the Holy Spirit revealing his Truth to all who seek after God's Truth - the kingdom of God - with all their heart! It is eye-opening to learn about the conclusions this esteemed person has come to regarding 'Christianity'.
I agree, Christian's need to become much more cognizant of their conduct's impact on others, and hopefully make a greater effort to establish the true record of what it means to be a 'Christian' - a 'believer and follower of Christ's Faith'.
Due to its inherent nature, true 'love' - self-sacrificing, other-focussed beneficence - cannot exist in isolation. It exists to perpetually give to others for their benefit (a living fountain: John 4:14). And it does not discriminate - it does not exist to benefit only some and not others. In terms of love's orientation being a commitment (covenant) to only benefit others, it is a 'one-size-fits-all'.
To reduce the risk of the above principle being misunderstood and misapplied, I also need to hilight that how that benefiting is applied to each person differs - and is therefore 'custom-made'. In some instances, giving a person that which they need/desire is genuinely beneficial for them (this is what verses like Luke 6:30 are referring to). In other instances, not giving someone what they desire is the more genuinely beneficial for them in instances where what they desire contributes to their (self-)destruction.
Phil, I would also add that what benefits one person may not benefit another. We do not all have the same needs. One may need emotional support, while another needs child care so they can work to pay bills. We must be careful not to only give what we would want for ourselves. I have seen the Golden Rule rewritten to say "do unto others as they would have done to themselves" to reflect this, although as you stated, what they think they need may not always be best. We should always be aware of the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Even just a kind word may change a person's day for the better, and they may go on to be kind to someone else in a ripple effect.
Let us, without delay or reserve, come and cleave to our reconciled God in Jesus Christ, that we may love, serve, and obey him acceptably, and be daily changed into his image, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord. Consider the greatness and glory of God; and his goodness and grace; these persuade us to our duty. Blessed Spirit! Oh for thy purifying, persevering, and renewing influences, that being called out of the state of strangers, such as our fathers were, we may be found among the number of the children of God, and that our lot may be among the saints.
Pastor Sianipar - Thank you for your heartfelt prayer on behalf of all of us! May God greatly bless your ministry!
"Cleve to our reconciled God in Jesus Christ. Pasror Joseph,I would hope you ment to say: Let us without delay cleve to God in Jesus who reconciled us to Himself. We need to be reconciled to God. The way you worded it sounds like God needs reconciliation. He does not, He needs us to be reconciled to Him. He needs our reconciliation. To put it in layman's terms, I believe what Paul is saying is: Become friends with God, He is already friends with you.
2Corinthians 5:18-20. Good advice. Be ye reconciled to God, who has a longing for you to be reconciled to Himself. He is holding out His hand to you, take it.
Amen, my brother. Gbu always