Links for today’s readings:
Read: Ezekiel 10 Listen: (3:16)
Read: Romans 13 Listen: (2:35)
Scripture Focus: Romans 13.7-10
7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. 8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law
Reflection: The Debt We Owe
By John Tillman
What debt do we owe? Why do we owe it? Who do we owe it to?
Paul lays out civil obligations to submit to authority, have respect for law and order, and pay taxes to support those serving in government. These are intertwined with Paul’s concern for our moral obligations. Paul sums up what we owe in one word: Love.
In seminary, I performed with a creative arts team that traveled to churches, conventions, and camps performing and sharing the gospel through drama and dance. On a few occasions, we were given a “per diem” for expenses instead of a credit card. As the director, I received a large amount of cash and was charged to give each team member a specific amount of money for each day’s meals. As soon as I received that money, I owed a debt to each team member. It was not my money. It was theirs. I owed it to them.
I could have kept the money. I could have given smaller amounts than instructed, then bought myself extravagant meals with the extra. I could have paid part of my college loans or my tuition with it. Doing any of those things would have defaulted on the debt. I would have stolen from them as surely as if I took money from their pockets. I would also have stolen from the one who gave me the money in the first place.
This is the situation we are in with the love of God. He freely gives to us and commands us to freely give to others. (Matthew 10.8) God’s love is for us, too. Just as the per diem cash was intended to feed me too. But if we lavishly enjoy and indulge in God’s love for us and never give freely of that love to others, we are defaulting on our debt. We rob God and harm our neighbor.
Some want to qualify or minimize our debt of love. For example asking, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10.29) Kinists and racists justify themselves by saying “your neighbor” is only Christians or only your race. These false teachers counsel us to eat more than our share of the per diem. Jesus disagrees. (Matthew 25.45)
What debt do we owe? Love. Why do we owe it? Jesus. Who do we owe it to? Everyone.
Don’t default on our debt of love.
Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, Lord God of hosts; let not those who seek you be disgraced because of me, O God of Israel. — Psalm 69.7
– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.
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