Love Mercy and Walk Humbly

By Benjamin H. Liles

          He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? ~ Micah 6:8, NKJV

          It says a great deal when we are able to do as Christ commands. He said, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:17-19). 

          What fulfills the Law of Moses, which God gave to Israel and now to us who claim they follow Christ? Paul says, "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (! Corinthians 13:4-7).

          Love. It passes the test of what the Ten Commandments talk about. First, it shows how we are to love and worship the God of the universe. Secondly, we're told how to love our neighbor. Violation of any of these two commands means we break the whole of the law. Jesus replies to those of us who ask the question "Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" with "‘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” (Matthew 22:37-40).

          So, then if love shows the way how we can honor God and give respect towards one another, we can see how only Jesus Christ can change the heart of man. We're all separated from God without Christ in our lives. We simply cannot love others unselfishly and without any kind of gain by not having Him residing in us. Don't think I'm trying to preach at any specific person on my facebook page. I know I'm guilty as much as anyone else in not showing Christian love toward God as well as others. Do I suffer long and am kind to others? I can't claim that.

           I can't do that without Christ in my life. Can I love without envy? Without parading myself about? Without behaving rudely or even without being provoked? No, as Paul points it out so very well, "[Love] rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." By loving others as Christ does means this simply: live justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. Christ did so by obeying and abiding in Him. So can we, but with His help. Won't you allow Him the same right?