What connection does the opening idea of having no debts have to do with the greatest commandment to love one another as we love ourselves? Writing as one who is trying to get out of debt (and thus has no credit), am I somehow a failure even if I am loving my neighbor as myself? Hmmm.
Grace & Peace,
Mike - Lost in LA
How do you think this is going to preach/be heard in light of the current millennial fever that is ever creeping towards our doors? To live debt-free (and to live honorably) with no strings attached to another frees us up to live how? I'm not sure where Paul would have us point here!
BRS in WI
I was thinking about the connection between paying off debts and loving the neighbor, and it made me think of the man who asked Jesus how many times he must forgive his neighbor. Seven times? No, Jesus says, seventy times seven.
I can almost hear the same man asking Paul, to what extent am I obligated to keep on loving my neighbor? When is that obligation fulfilled? And Paul says, you must keep on loving. Your other obligations may be fulfilled (in fact, I encourage that you fulfill them so that you no longer live in debt), but you can never repay the love you have received (in Christ). You always owe your neighbor love and kindness.
This comes from one (me) who has been trying for some time to pay off his debts. "When will these debts be paid and I can be debt-free?" Paul seems to be responding to someone who asks, "When can my debt of love to my neighbor be paid off, and I can start living for myself?" Paul says, Never.
Danny, CA
I fantasize about standing up in front of the congregation in silence for a few seconds and then shouting "WAKE UP!!!" I think God is doing that with me a lot of the time. Like Moses and the burning bush last week, I live oblivious to God's proddings, nudgings, miracles, blessings--even God's cries and shouts. "Wake up and smell the coffee," as Ann Landers, says. What a world of difference in my life when I live that way--salvation as an experience sure is a lot nearer, for me and the people who might be touched by my life, too. -- Tim in Deep River
I think our focus on financial or material debt is very reflective of our society today. Is this really what Paul was talking about here, or at least the only thing he was talking about? I personally don't think so. The focus of Jesus' ministry and Paul's was to look beyond the law (the fullfillment of debts) to a true and right relationship with God and our neighbors. Debts place division between those relationships, both for the lender and the borrower. When our focus turns away from debt, either monetary or otherwise, we are free to look at the genuine human being without placing any labels or attitudes upon them.
Perhaps looking at the upcoming Jubilee celebration that is being pushed for 2000 would be helpful. This calls both the lenders and borrowers to work together towards the forgivness of debt. I very powerful opportunity to build relationships and break down the walls that divide us.
B in Colorado
"Owe no one anything... except to love one another." That sounds like a powerful rhetorical device of sarcastic overstatement... i.e. "You didn't hurt me... you just ripped my heart out!" After all, if we love another we owe them EVERTHING. We become bound by love to give everything we possibly can to support their well-being. This, of course doesn't mean Christians should be doormats. I don't help a person, by allowing them to abuse me, but I am called to sacrifice and work my hardest to support the healthy growth of those I love. Laying aside the works of darkness and putting on the armor of light seems like a good tip for achieving the right balance in our lives. If we put aside doing things that we would not want exposed, if we put aside being guided by emotions or reactions we can't or won't name, we can be protected by choosing responses and actions we dare to articulate to God, to ourselves, to others. This is not asking much, only for offering our WHOLE selves to Christ. DL in ME
Read vs. 7. "Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor."
Paul is very specifically addressing financial dealings. If you owe a person money and never make any attempt to pay it back, how can you say that you love this person? Loving a person doesn't excuse the fact that you still owe that person money. I think it's an integrity thing here.
John near Pitts.
This passage is great stuff....unfortunately, I'm not very well steeped in Greek, so not sure of the meaning of "debt" as it is used here....a Lexicon might help, huh?
Anyway, my initial blush with this passage led me to think that "owe no one anything" is childish....to be child-like, like those that are to come unto Jesus. That feeling, remember it? when we were beholden to no one....To be truly free of feeling that we had to do, or say, something to please someone else? To let go of those false expectations? For, now, putting on the armor of Light (or of God - Ephesians 6.10ff), we are able to be truly ourselves in the here and now. Not beholden to the past (making up for past mistakes, or perceived mistakes), nor the future (hope that s/he likes me, so I'll say/do XYZ to make them like me).
I'm not sure if this is all fueled by watching my 10 year old son try to adjust to friends, and watching him try to please them to make them like him....in which case, I'm doing isageses (sp?), not hermeneutics, or exegesis. Help??!!
Moving on in the text, though, I don't want to let the love/Law discussion get lost in triumphalism. The Law, or The Torah (The Teachings) are intended to bring people to the love of God, and to help them express God's love to others. It is captured best, I believe, in the Daily Jewish prayer, the Shemah (sp?) -- and what Jesus recited in Mark 12, when asked what is the Greatest Commandment. The Shemah does not replace The Torah, but captures its fullness -- its spirit, if you will.
Chris in The Twin Cities
Owe no one anything, except to love one another;
The two women came by the church on a brigth afternoon with a newborn baby. They did not have clothes for the 2 weeks old baby or means to buy diapers. The pastor received them and bought them some diapers and milk. Also made an appointment with WIC so they can receive more milk for the baby. However she did not have any clothes for a newborn at the time. What to do?
For the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
She remember another christian organization which helped pregnant women to get what they needed. She called first and make an appointment for them. A few hours later, the two women came back with tears in their eyes and empty hands... except a crying baby. "What happened?" asked the pastor. "They did not gave us anything, we saw the clothes and the diapers in the background but they did not gave us anything" they repplied.
Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fullfiling of the law.
The pastor called back the place..."We could not give them anything because they did not speak English and we could not registered them" was one of the excuses. "Besides they looked so strange... how do we know they are not lying?" was another answer. "You know many of these hispanics are not really what they seem to be. Many of them are just trying to get advantage of the system. I bet they had been in other churches lying and trying to get baby cloth to sell them later. Next time you send us someone make sure they fulfill our requirements so we can make sure we are serving does who deserve to be served", was their final repply.
Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep...
The pastor hang up the phone and took the baby in her arms. To comfort her she sang a song until the baby went to sleep. She apologized to them for what happened. She prayed for the women and send them home. Then sat at her desk figthing the tears and the anger and seeking direction before deciding what else she could do...
For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers...
Latina
For me, the unifying theme of this passage has to do with being free of those earthly encumbrances--from financial debt to the works of darkness--that might prevent me from living with Jesus at the only-sufficient center of my life. It seems to me that Paul is saying that to enjoy true freedom in Christ (not to mention, to be a credible witness able to withstand the scrutiny of "daylight"), one must willingly divest oneself of those idols that, when allowed free rein, eventually take over and crowd out Christ. A related subtheme may be that we should only do those things (and adopt those attitudes) we are willing for God and the world to know, see, examine, and critique. Along these lines, Paul seems to be saying that it's only in a life of Christian integrity that we experience true freedom--freedom from our past, freedom from the power of our sin, freedom to live.
I am intrigued by two reverse parallels that occur in verse 12 and 14. There, Paul talks about putting on the armor of light and of putting on Christ. This seems to me a clear indication that given our fallenness, Christian integrity or living for Christ, isn't something native to us. We must appropriate the free gift of grace and one day at a time, living under Christ's power, allow the power of sin to be vanquished in our lives. This notion of "putting on" therefore runs contrary to any boastfulness or pride we might adopt regarding a lifestyle of integrity.
One passage I would link with this one is Ephesians 5:1-2, where the call is to imitate God...Christ-likeness, discipleship, true followership.
But I haven't a clue where I will take all of this. I'm anxious to read others' posts.
God bless!
Mark Cincinnati
31 AUG 99
Regarding the use of "owe" (and forms) in vs. 7-8, words like "dues" and "taxes" come to mind. In fact, opheilete has the sense of "payment to others (e.g. another nation) w/ the implication of being submissive and dependent upon the other (Louw and Nida). This is not an appropriate relationship for Christians who rely, "depend upon" and serve God alone. (In another month or so the gospel lesson from Mt. 22 will include that section where Jesus says: "Give to the emperor the things that are the emporers, and to God the things that are God's" with the full knowledge that all IS God's!). Here, I'm thinking of motive. We shouldn't be legally, dependently endebted on others. However, in the same sentence Paul reminds us of the "law" of love. In effect, isn't he saying that we love not out of compulsion, grudginly, but out of the invitation of Christ, and knowing the joy of such graciousness? We don't "love" (including tangible and material sharing and serving)because "it's the law", but because God first loved--and always loves--us and we are creatures made in God's image. Peter in CA
I think one way to approach this "owe no one anything but love" idea, in light of current trends, is as follows; Many in Christian circles have noted the failure of "keeping up with the Jones'", amassing goods, often by running up debt as a solution to the emptiness of life. In fact many now proclaim becoming debt-free (almost) as important as salvation. Numerous books have been written and many hours of radio and TV time have been used to point believers toward this new promise land where the milk and honey are pay-as-you-go and every blessing may be claimed as earned. Its almost a pride thing, you see.Paul reminds us that if you owe nothing else, you still owe love to all as a debt you can never repay to the one who gave ALL for you,even Christ Jesus. A dandy hymn to bring it home is "Freely, Freely", found in the United Methodist Hymnal (and perhaps others), which states "Freely, freely, you have recieved. Freely,freely give." Magic Tom in Tn.
Anyone with this angle Exodus reading is on being prepared: put on sandals, gird up loins, and get staff in hand
Romans (latter part) deals with being prepared: "arise from sleep (hypnosis)"
And in Sacrement of Lord's Supper we anticipate the coming "supper" when we drink of the vine in the kingdom.
Mark in Va