Your Neighbour As Yourself Series

Message

Mark 12:31

Your Neighbour As Yourself

Let’s start today by talking about loopholes.

A loophole is what happens when a contract, or rule, or statute is written in such a way that the obligations of that contract, rule, or statute can be ignored or evaded.

There are heaps of examples but a sector of society that is often accused of using loopholes is insurance companies. Even a simple thing like defining a “flood” is still not worked out and flood victims are not covered. All because of a loophole.

Now it is really easy to point the finger at all sorts of organisations and situations and throw out heaps of examples. But the reason I mention loopholes is that we

… we as humanity.

… actually even more specifically – we as people who are committed to loving God.

… we have a tendency to find and use loopholes.

Spiritual loopholes.

Indeed our text today challenges us in one of the biggest spiritual loopholes of all.

30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” 31 The second is this: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these.

Mark 12:30-31

Love your neighbour as yourself?

Where is the loophole? Jesus here is quoting a part of Leviticus 19:18. In the context the verse reads:-

16 “‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people. “‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbour’s life. I am the Lord.

17 “‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbour frankly so you will not share in their guilt.

18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.

Leviticus 19:16-18

Leviticus is written at a time just after the Exodus when the Israelites were wandering in the desert for 40 years before they entered the promised land. In Leviticus the Lord is giving instruction on how the people can live a life of holiness when the settle in the land. A life of holiness included getting on with the people around you.

Notice the wording in Leviticus 19.

Your people.

Your neighbour.

Fellow Israelite.

After wandering in the desert the people … the neighbours … the fellow Israelites … settled into the land. Eventually, after a few centuries, they ruled the land. More centuries took place. The land went through many changes.

By the time we get to the days when Jesus is preaching the once great nation of Israel was known as the small state of Judea.

In the past the Israelites ruled surrounding countries … now it was under the authority of the Romans.

The Romans were just the latest in a list of ruling authorities.

Babylonians

Persians.

Greeks.

Then the Romans.

Each time world powers rose the Jews found themselves in their own land surrounded by people from many nationalities. The more these changes happened the more the Jews became insulated and isolated. They didn’t want to show love to all these people from the different nations who were around them. So they came up with a loophole. Jesus addresses this loophole in Matthew 5:43-44

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

Matthew 5:43-44

You have heard that it was said.

Part of what was said was indeed Scripture – the love your neighbour part. Part of what was said was the Pharisees and Rabbi’s giving their interpretation … the hate your enemy part. The explanation went something like this … imagine for a moment I am a Rabbi.

God’s Word says, love your neighbour. But who is your neighbour? Well, the Lord doesn’t leave us in the dark about this.

Leviticus 19 tells us not to spread slander among your people … it doesn’t say anything about slandering Gentiles.

The Torah says don’t hate your fellow Israelite … but nothing about not hating those Romans.

Scripture is clear—you can’t bear a grudge against your people … but you can carry a big a grudge as you like against the Samaritans.

Love your neighbour must mean you do the opposite for everyone else. To love your neighbour means to hate your enemy. Everyone who is not a Jew can be considered an enemy.

That is how it worked.

It’s a loophole. Using the ambiguity of the Scripture to avoid living a life of holiness and obedience.

Finding loopholes is such an in-built habit that Jesus didn’t preach about it on just one occasion. If you have been following this series on a weekly basis you will know that conversations about the greatest commandment takes place in Matthew, Mark and Luke.