What Would Jesus Think: Who's on Second--Part I

Years ago, I saw a rusty greenish colored corroded penny lying on the ground. Since the federal government does not devalue money because it is nasty, I stopped and picked it up. Shortly thereafter, I stopped by a restaurant to buy a coca cola drink. As I handed money to the cashier at the drive-up window, the corroded penny fell into the coca cola drink by accident. By the time I fished it out of the drink, it looked as though it had been freshly minted. All the corrosion and rust were gone. [Back in the 50s and 60s, the coca cola drinks were the real thing. In fact, some car mechanics used coca cola to burn the built-up corrosion off of car batteries and cables.]

That’s what we look like to God before our spiritual cleanup. But, like the corroded penny, God shows us through His word that sin never made us worthless or valueless to Him. He simply threw us out of the house [Garden of Eden]. And, we could not come back until we were cleaned up—i.e. salvation.

When asked what is the greatest commandment of all, Jesus answered that 1] we are to love God with all of our heart, body, and soul. Secondly, we are to love our neighbor as ourselves, Matthew 22:36-40. In addition, Jesus said He is the way, the truth, and the life. And that His word is our spiritual food, Matthew 4:4, which is a repetition of God’s word in Deuteronomy 8:3. Lastly, the disciples in Jesus’ time, and any and all who would be disciples throughout time since then, are to be witnesses to the world of tHis truth, Matthew 28:19-20. Specifically, in verse 20, Jesus said we are to teach all nations to observe whatsoever He has commanded.

So, what happened? Why are God’s people now being taught that the neighbor is more worthy of love than the individual that Jesus came to save?

In Matthew 6, 10, and 12, Jesus teaches the disciples that people are worth more than sheep, birds, and flowers in the field. Thus, Jesus taught that we are of great value to Him. More so, Jesus states that He says nothing that the father has not said, John 8:28. Thus, His words about loving ourselves in Matthew 22:37-38 are repeating God’s words that He spoke in Leviticus 16:18.

Has God changed His mind? Is He now not faithful to His word? No. He left us a message in His recorded word that He is unchanged.

The problem with teaching Christian believers to love the neighbor second—I believe—lies in the fact that many sincere people find it difficult to believe that God wants them to love themselves. Here is why, in my opinion.

We know what we did in the darkness of Satan’s kingdom before God called us into the light of His Son. Oftentimes, it is difficult for many to forgive themselves even though God has forgiven those who have truly repented [been there—did that].

Life events continue to reveal the consequences of those who do not love themselves—movie theater shootings, random drive-by shootings, random murders on military bases, and worse. On top of that, people are mutilating themselves through pills and surgery in vain attempts to be something other than how God created their magnificent bodies.

When we truly repent, i.e. acknowledge our former offenses [sin] against God to God, and ask for His forgiveness, He tells us that “He” no longer even remembers our offenses against Him, Ezekiel 18: 21-22; 33: 14-16, Isaiah 43:25. The reason--or spirit--of why people continue to remember their old sins has a name—Satan. As long as he can make us call to memory our old man deeds, those memories make many feel worthless and unworthy of God’s mercy and love. But, that is not how God sees us.

This commandment to love ourselves is repeated in Ephesians 5: 28 which reveals that husbands must love their wives as their own bodies. Thus, loving ourselves is important to God. Why? And, what does this mean? Who are we that we should love ourselves?

We are magnificently created by our God and Father, who is love. Thus, we are created in love by love. We are made in God’s image and likeness. We are so loved that God set in motion the only way for us to be saved, i.e. through the shed blood of His son. And, Jesus loved us so much that He walked a known and recorded path of horror that only He could walk so that we could be freed from the stranglehold of Satan’s deception.

The two commandments that Jesus gave the disciples are mind boggling in their simplicity.

Jesus broke the ten commandments down into two. But, they only work when we understand that we, the individual, are on second. Then, once we learn to love ourselves through the working of the Holy spirit, we no longer steal from our neighbors. We no longer kill our neighbors nor do we commit adultery with our neighbor’s husbands and/or wives. We honor our natural fathers and mothers, and so on.

Jesus rules. Learn to love yourselves with a divine love.