People, not Policies

You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
2 Corinthians 3:3 (NIV)

Yesterday I delivered the final of a trilogy of messages among our local gathering of Jesus’ followers. In the message, I talked about one of the basic differences between the way the kingdoms of this world operate and the way Jesus taught and exemplified that the Kingdom of God operates.

The kingdoms of this world are all about power. I’ve experienced it on all sorts of different levels in all sorts of different ways. Whoever has the power and authority uses that power to dictate policies that those under authority must follow and obey. It’s just the way things work in a fallen world.

Jesus, on the other hand, relinquished His divine authority when He chose to leave heaven and come to earth and live as one of us. The motivation was servant-hearted love for us, His creation. He wasn’t about top-down power and authoritative systemic policies. He was about individual human hearts and lives changed by love, then gratefully motivated to pay that love forward towards other individuals. Spirit principles not human policies.

In His parable of the sheep and goats (Matthew 25:31-46), Jesus speaks of Judgement Day. The difference between those who enter the Kingdom of Heaven and those who are sent to the fire is about how well individuals loved others. The only policies or rules involved are the two Jesus said were the only two that mattered: Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love others as you love yourself. One of the fascinating things about the parable is that the sheep are unaware that they were loving God as they loved others. The goats, on the other hand, thought they were loving God going through religious motions and keeping rules. There was no evidence, however, of them loving others.

In today’s chapter, Paul uses a simple but beautiful metaphor as he tells the believers in Corinth that they themselves are Paul’s “letter of recommendation.” Their hearts and lives, changed by the love of Jesus that Paul brought to Corinth, are all the commendation that Paul desires or requires. Paul, like Jesus, is concerned about loving his Corinthian friends well.

I think it’s probably a good thing that on this Monday morning these things are rattling around in my heart and mind. As I enter a new work week and look at a schedule full of meetings, one-on-ones, and activities, I want to be motivated by the right things. It’s about people.

Lord Jesus, help me to love others well. The way you have loved me.