BYU Studies Quarterly
Keywords
love, law, God's commandments, Christianity
Abstract
1. Love is the substance of God’s law. As Paul puts it: “If there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself ” (Rom. 13:9). Or, as Jesus summarizes the law: “On these two commandments”—love of God and love of neighbor—“hang all the law and the prophets” (Matt. 22:40). What’s more, this love can’t be treated as a special reward. “Ye have heard that it hath been said,” Jesus acknowledges, “thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies” (Matt. 5:43–44). This is the law: love even your enemies. What would happen if I actually believed this? What would happen if I stopped treating love as a reward and finally started obeying love as a law? To help sketch an answer to this question, I want to revisit two familiar stories. The first is by Arnold Lobel. The second is by Jesus. But both stories, really, are about love.
Recommended Citation
Miller, Adam S.
(2024)
"Love Is a Law, Not a Reward,"
BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 63:
Iss.
4, Article 10.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol63/iss4/10