Following Christ-Rediscovering the Jewish Faith of JesusSample

Day 13: Love God! Obey His Commands!

We’ve been talking about the idea of loving God, which Jesus stated was the greatest commandment that God gave to his people through Moses. In the first epistle of John, the author discusses loving God for a good chunk of the epistle. Then he gives a very concrete suggestion for how to carry it out. “This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:2-3).

The entire Hebrew scripture is filled with instructions to obey the commands that God gave His people. The Psalms especially emphasize that theme. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, and it devotes virtually every verse to extolling the virtues of God’s law. It certainly deserves rereading often.

Another psalm (and one that many of us memorize) describes the man that God blesses and who tries to live for God. It compares him to a tree that is planted by a stream, and brings forth fruit. It also tells us why he is so successful, saying, “his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2, ESV).

We know that ancient Israel failed to consistently follow God’s commands through Moses and was sent into exile. What is less well-known is that much of what was to become Christianity turned away from following many of God’s commands by the second century. They did this to avoid being taxed as Jews, since many of them weren’t. However, in so doing, they abandoned following any commands that looked Jewish. I explore this in more detail in my recent book, Following Christ—Rediscovering the Jewish Faith of Jesus, but this avoidance in keeping God’s commands has been a significant part of Christian tradition ever since.

If we’re going to love God with all our being, as Jesus commanded, we need to give more weight to Scripture than to Christian tradition. John’s letter is only one of many passages that urge us to follow God’s commands.

It’s tough to follow God’s commands if you’re not familiar with them. For this reason, all people who consider themselves followers of Jesus should become familiar with the first five books of the Bible, those written by Moses. It would be a good idea to read them through every year, and try to determine how God wants people to live.

Reflection

Are you willing to learn God’s commands and try to follow them? If you want to love God, that is surely one of the best ways to do it. If you have never read the books of Moses, begin one today.

The first five books of the Bible are also called Torah. Since Jesus is the culmination of the Law, knowing the Law makes sense for every Christian. We may not need to follow every dietary stricture or prepare every feast, but we should study ourselves approved and discover Christ in the Law, following God’s direction as we do.

Jesus was our Paschal Lamb, slain before the foundation of the world to save all people. If you ever have the opportunity to attend a Seder, the Jewish Feast of Passover, do so. In fact, you will find God’s truths embedded in every feast.