Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Romans 13:8-10

I could sit in front of a mirror and repeat everything that I’ve said to another person. The time when I said, “You’re an idiot,” doesn’t sound very good when I see myself saying it to myself. The time when I said, “Jesus loves you,” sounds acceptable when I see myself saying it to myself. I learn my lesson in that way about loving others as I would myself. It’s a horror show to think of all the people I run across doing the same thing. Obviously, they have no desire to love others as themselves, and would probably smash the mirror if it behaved towards them the same way they treat others. They are the ones who live by the mark of the beast and do not take criticism well and do not desire to see the Spirit of Jesus Christ looking back at them from a mirror. In contrast, I want to see the reflection of Christ within my life. Love does no harm to a neighbor and all I owe is to let that love shine.

Paul is talking to people who don’t have a Bible of their own nor do they have a church to gather in. The Bible (Old Testament) and church belonged to the Jewish people. The Christians of Paul’s day had a few written letters about how to live for Jesus Christ and they gathered together in makeshift meeting places. Those in Rome had their letters, those of Corinth had theirs, those of Galatia had theirs, etc. Those in Rome are taught that by loving one another they fulfill every single law of the Old Testament. All the commandments are summed up in this way, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The Christians of that day were living with the freedom of not needing the Jewish scriptures nor the Jewish Church. All that they needed was the love of God through Jesus Christ, and that is true for us today.

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another,
for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 
The commandments,
“You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command:
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.”
Romans 13:8-10

“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11