On These Hang?
I find it interesting how often I encounter someone who mistakenly believes they have figured out all that is needed to know when it comes to righteousness by quoting the following verses of Scripture.
They quote them as if it is a badge of honor to do so and as if they are observing them with perfection.
Matthew 22:36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Jesus said that on these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. In other words, everything communicated in the Old Covenant as the conditions for being right with God owes its existence to these two primary and greatest commands.
So, a person will sometimes quote this and then say Jesus simplified the Law down to just two things. They will then say He paid for the sin of breaking the Law and now expects us to just focus on these two commandments because if we get these down, we will fulfill the whole Law.
This is spoken as though they or others might actually perfectly observe these two greatest commandments. But such things are spoken without truly thinking about it. Jesus wasn’t trying to reduce our focus on the Law so that we might be able to keep it. He is demonstrating that even if it were made even more simple than it already was, no one would have truly kept it in its purity with perfection.
I am always amazed at those who claim they love the Law and how little respect they truly have for it by thinking anyone other than Jesus has ever perfectly kept it. Thinking it could be kept in the flesh is to blemish its perfection and reduce it to something less than what it really is as a standard.
It presses me this morning to ask the question that should always be visited when this comes up.
Have you or anyone you know ever perfectly without fail loved God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and loved your neighbor as you love yourself?
The only human being I know of who fulfilled this was Jesus himself. The idea of quoting these Scriptures and thinking that observing them will be how I will maintain the righteousness of God freely given to me through Jesus is fleshly. It is putting my hope in my ability as opposed to what Jesus did already on my behalf.
By emphasizing this point, I am not saying we should not love God or our neighbors. I am simply saying that the source of our confidence should not be in ourselves and what we do but in Jesus and what He did. By saying this, I am pointing attention to the Jesus who brought life and immortality to light and obliterated sin and death at the cross.
Jesus makes the righteousness of God available to anyone who will believe in Him and receive His free gift of grace. That is the only righteousness that God will accept. All other attempts at righteousness in order to merit from God are rejected. Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, is not just a good saying; it is a matter of life and death. The One who fulfilled the whole Law and satisfied its righteous requirements has redeemed my life, and I am now hidden with God in Christ. There is now no condemnation!
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
To Jesus be all the glory, all the praise, and all the honor. I am thankful to Him and for Him and the life He has given me. Now, on Him hangs the matter of real righteousness and glory, and I am in Him, have been given His life and His righteousness, and am now a joint heir with Him. Hallelujah!
