Christianity involves both truth and grace, both head and heart; it is both rational and relational. Understanding this is crucial to understanding what life together in Christ means.
Case in point: Matthew 22:34-40 (NIV),
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Rabbinic teaching and debating focused around asking and answering questions. When the Sadducees and Pharisees asked Jesus questions, they were not treating Jesus poorly, they were engaging Him in formal debate. Any traveling rabbi (and this was not uncommon) who came to town would be treated the same. In fact, Jesus engaged the Pharisees in the same manner in just one chapter earlier in Matthew 22:41-46 (NIV),
While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” “The son of David,” they replied. He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”‘ If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”
No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.
This question in particular—what is the most important commandment—was a standard way of discerning where a rabbi stood theologically and to determine what quality of rabbi he was. If Jesus did not know the answer, it would have been very easy for the Pharisees to discredit Him. Jesus responds by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 respectively,
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
In the parallel passage of Mark 12:32-34 the Pharisee who asked the question acknowledges that Jesus answered correctly.
“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
So the most important doctrine to know, the objective truth, the proposition that needed to be known more than any other is Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ And the second is ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. And what do these truths teach? They teach that the most important thing is that we be in a loving community: community with God and with one another. The truth directs us into relationship, first with God, and then with one another.
To understand the law, one must understand that it is relational. To know the law means both correctly interpreting it, and correctly living it out in our relationships. The most important truth is that we be in a loving community: community with God and with one another. God’s truth always directs us into relationship, first with God, and then with one another.
When we are living out the truth we will be…
…Good. Concerned for the wellbeing of the people in our lives and especially for the Body of Christ.
…Righteous. Living out God’s commands and teaching.
…Truthful. Being honest and trustworthy.
…Wise. People who exercise discernment and discretion, and who seek God’s direction in our decisions and relationships.
…Careful to live in reverential respect of the Lord.
Being a community that has an environment where living in truth is encouraged produces two things that we need to function together as the Body of Christ to live out the great commandment and the great commission.
The first is trust. We need to be able to count on one another. We need to know that we have one another’s back. If we are constantly worrying about what someone might say, think, or if they are going to drop the ball we are not going to be able to be very effective in the work that God had given us to do.
The second is accountability. The upshot of this is that we are all making disciples. We tend to become like the people we spend most of our time with. The more time people spend around you the more they will become like you.
The tough question we all need to ask ourselves is: Is that a good thing or a bad thing? What kind of disciples am I making? How is my life impacting the soil in which my family at home and at church are trying to grow? Am I enriching the soil or poisoning it?
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV) Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. You say, “That’s the Apostle Paul though. Not me.” True enough. However Jesus did say in John 14:12 (NIV) I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
Jesus does not expect you to be Paul. He expects you to be you, that’s why you are who you are. If he needed another Paul, He would have done that. But He still expects us to be able to say with confidence to the people around us, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”
Learning To Be Full Of Grace And Truth. 