Jesus’ command to ‘love one another’ sounds simple enough until one realizes how he is to love. “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (Jn 15:12) When a person compares his own love to the perfect love of the Lord, he tends to go one of two directions. He either defends his imperfections and tries to justify himself or he admits his weakness and cries out for help, knowing the standard is beyond human reach.
An expert lawyer came to this place of realization after asking Jesus how to obtain eternal life. “What is written in the law?” Jesus replied. The lawyer gave a brilliant answer: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But who does this? Who loves God or his fellow man in this perfect way? If eternal life depends on following this standard, how will anyone be saved? So do we admit our need or do we try to defend ourselves? The lawyer wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” In response to this question, Jesus told the familiar parable of the Good Samaritan.
Watchman Nee, a Chinese Christian who spent the last twenty years of his life in prison for his faith, taught that the meaning of this parable is our desperate need for a Savior. When I think about my life, I agree. I was on the road to destruction. I was assaulted by the enemy who hates us all. Religion came close to me, but it could not help. Though I heard the calls to try harder, I finally realized I was unable to live up to God’s perfect standards. How could I ever love God or my fellow man with this selfish heart? “What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
But just when there seemed to be no hope, a Savior came. He was a Stranger from a far place, despised and rejected by most. He showed me mercy. He knew I was helpless and He knew what I needed – so He washed me with Oil and Wine.
I can try to justify myself all day long, but without the Wine there is no justification. I can try to live up to God’s perfect law all my life, but without the Oil, there is no hope. Keith Green sang the appropriate prayer: “What can be done for an old heart like mine? Soften it up with Oil and Wine. The Oil is You – Your Spirit of Love. Please wash me anew in the Wine of Your Blood.”
“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly….Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” (Romans 5:5-9)