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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. 11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. (Romans 13:8-14 NIV Bible)
Have you ever heard a loved one say something along the lines of, "I don't have a thing to wear?" (Sometimes, and those are few and far between, the loved one may mean, "I need to buy a new outfit." But that's just me guessing; I don't know for sure.). I always think, "Well, where we're going I'm going to wear the same black robe that I've had since 1976 and it's the most special robes of the few I own, made so because it was a gift from my grandmother, Ms. Petra Martinez Valverde, who paid over $300 in 1976 money for that robe. And this from a long-retired woman who never truly worked outside the home! When I wear the robe I think of her and miss her a lot. When I wear the robe I am wearing the love of my grandmother and wearing the authority given to me by the Church to officiate and preside over sacramental duties.
The Apostle Paul in this passage is talking about how to best live our lives as Christians. He begins by addressing debt and how we should owe no one anything, except "the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The law says to love your neighbor as yourself, thus the "debt" to which Paul is referring. Then he quotes the commandments and those requirements to live right; no adultery, no murder, no stealing, and no coveting; summing it all up with "Love your neighbor as yourself." The neighbor that loves his/her neighbor, will not harm that neighbor; and love becomes the fulfillment of the law. Then amazingly, Paul says to his readers of that time, that they should be aware of "the present time." The present is so intense, and we should remember this was more than two thousand years ago; and Paul says with times as they are, we should not be asleep because our salvation is closer to us now than when we first believed; a reference to each day bringing us closer to our death. The trials of "night" will soon fade as "the day" is coming soon. The reality is to live in ways that show we belong to the day and not to the night. Our behavior should reflect our allegiance to the day in our abstaining from "carousing and drunkenness," staying away from sexual immorality and debauchery, and dissension and jealousy. Here is where Paul says we should "wear Jesus Christ," as clothing and protection and a reflection of Whom we belong, and put aside the desires and temptations of the flesh.
This passage is very closely related to yesterday's Sin in The Church devotional from the gospel from this week's lectionary lessons; and reinforces that teaching from Jesus from the man who was personally called by Jesus to take His word to the world. In the same way, you and I are called to live model lives to bless others and to show that in spite of how difficult it may be we can do it. Again, this is a call to stand out, and apart, from how the world sees things. We are to be a nation that models Jesus and not the ways of Satan.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, mold me and make me, like Thee divine, as we sing and now pray. Help us be the models of love and faith that bless the world; this we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Live like Jesus!
Receive my blessings of joy and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
