The beautiful and radical call to love
by Jane Mueller
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Owe no-one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law (Romans 13:8).
Read Romans 13:8–14
You don’t owe God a thing because Jesus has already paid it all. The law has been fulfilled, the debt erased, and your identity sealed in grace. There is nothing left to prove. And yet, from this place of complete freedom, Paul calls us into something powerful and purposeful: love. It is not as a burden, but as a formidable response to the love that has first been poured into us.
Paul reminds us that all the commandments – every ‘do not’ and ‘must not’ – are summed up in one beautiful, radical call: love. Love God, and love your neighbour as yourself. And this isn’t theoretical. It’s grounded in the example of Jesus, who loved audaciously. He touched the untouchable (Mark 1:40–42), welcomed the outsider (John 4:7–26), dined with sinners and tax collectors (Luke 5:29–32), defended the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1–11), wept with those who were grieving (John 11:32–35), and forgave those who crucified him (Luke 23:34). His love wasn’t cautious or calculating – it was full, free and fearless.
This love isn’t abstract or sentimental; it’s active and practical. For you and me, it shows up in our patience when we’re frustrated, in kindness when we feel wronged, and in listening when we’d rather speak. It shows up in giving others the benefit of the doubt, in holding back gossip, in including the person on the edge, in forgiving without demanding payback, in choosing grace over sarcasm, and in showing up when it’s inconvenient. (This list is not exhaustive!)
When we love others, we’re not trying to meet a rule or tick a box – we’re reflecting Christ himself. His Spirit at work in us helps us see people differently, not as problems to fix, but as neighbours to love.
You are already fully known and fully loved in Christ. Let that truth shape your heart, mind and soul today.
Jesus, you loved me when I least deserved it. You paid every debt so I could live free. Fill me with your love today – real, bold, grace-filled love. Help me see and love people as you do. Amen.
Jane is a former Lutheran school principal and now serves as Governance Leadership Director for Lutheran Education SA, NT & WA. Jane has a keen interest in psychology, enjoys hiking and loves learning about and trying new things.
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