The Grace of the Ten Commandments Ⅱ
(Mt. 22:35~40)

The first through fourth commandments are about God, while the fifth through tenth are about mankind. The unifying theme in the Ten Commandments is love. The most important command among the Ten commandments is to love God, and the next is love our neighbors.

1. The fundamental essence of the commandments
The fundamental essence of the commandments is forgiveness and love, not judgment and punishment. God loves us so much that He gave His only son, Jesus. As the sacrificial offering, Jesus died on the cross. God's love is one-way and unconditional, and we can never repay it. (1 Jn. 4:10-11, 19) The completion of the love on the cross can be achieved when we love our God and our neighbors. Just as Jesus fulfilled the love on the cross, we should love God passionately and exercise love for our neighbors so that God's love can transform us and fill our lives with God's overflowing grace and goodness.

2. Our neighbor, the object of our love
People who love God must also love their neighbors. The reason for this is that our neighbors were created by God and that God loves them. We should not despise each other or have arguments because of minor matters. According to the Apostle John, it is a falsehood to hate our neighbors even though we claim to love God. (1 John 4:20-21) We who love God should forgive and love one another to be united in God. Then, the world plagued with hatred, disputes, and tensions will be restored by Jesus Christ's love.

3. The ways of loving neighbor
The fifth commandment, which requires us to love our parents, is the beginning point for loving our neighbors. When we truly honor and serve our parents, God will bless us with success and longevity. (Ex. 20:12) The sixth through tenth commandments are all about showing respect and kindness to our neighbors. The sixth commandment forbids us from murdering others not just with our thoughts, but also with our spoken or written words. The seventh commandment outlaws adultery, which applies to how we should handle our marriages. The eighth commandment prohibits us from stealing, while the ninth prohibits us from lying or hurting others. The tenth commandment encourages us not to be jealous of what others have. We should be content and grateful to God. We shall enjoy God's grace in our daily lives if we love our God and practice God's love for our neighbors.