(Kibera, in Nairobi. Kenya)
One aspect of New Testament ethics is that it is
an ethic of love. The two greatest commandments, said Jesus, are to love God
with all one's heart, soul, mind, and strength, and then to love one's neighbor
as you love your own self. (Matthew 22:36-39) These commands involve the
condition of one's heart, and are not mere matters of outward compliance.
In the ethics of Jesus there is a special place for the poor. For example, in
the parable of the invitation to the banquet the servant is commanded by his
master to bring in the poor, crippled, blind, lame, the street people of
first-century Israel. This is a way of demonstrating the agape love of God
which is non-hierarchical and unconditional.
Anyone who thinks following Jesus' love ethic is easy to do has wrongly
identified comprehension with matters of the heart. This is far from easy, in
our natural state. Many are those that understand, few are those that do.
R. Scott Smith writes:
"How are Christians to live this kind of ethic? They cannot live it out
just by education and self-discipline. Instead, they can live it out only in
utter dependence upon the indwelling power of the Spirit of Christ. Thus, the
Holy Spirit is necessary for the moral life for a kingdom member, and this is where
the virtues enter into our discussion. Indeed, the New Testament places a very
strong emphasis on the virtues, with the goal of becoming like Jesus. Yet the
virtues are not divorced from commands and principles. They work together, such
that the moral life is not just doing the right thing or avoiding doing wrong.
It is about becoming like Jesus, and that should issue forth in certain kinds
of actions." (R. Scott Smith, In Search of Moral Knowledge: Overcoming the
Fact-Value Dichotomy,
Kindle Locations 314-319)
The virtue of love, as with all moral virtues of Jesus, fruit of the Spirit.
"The Holy Spirit produces these virtues in Christians. Yes, there are
things believers are to do to cultivate them, but the Holy Spirit is necessary
for their realization." (Ib., Kindle Locations 322-323) These virtues
represent our goal, which is becoming like Jesus in character.
The Spirit grows this fruit as we live like branches connected to Jesus the
True Vine. One major way of connecting is by being a praying person. Praying is
the intimate God-connection par excellence. A praying person is a
fruit-bearing person, to include a loving and compassionate person.
