All laws have consequences when they are broken! So to fulfill the laws, justice must be passed down to those who break them. In our Apostles Creed we proclaim that Jesus will return to "judge the living and the dead". So if we believe that Jesus was the Messiah then we must also believe that he is the ruler of the "messianic kingdom" or the "kingdom of God" and that he will have final say over who enters the kingdom or not. This is entirely consistent with the earliest Judaic writings and scripture that portray the Messiah not as a king, but as a judge that punishes those who do not obey God's laws. In his mercy Jesus simplified the laws for us. Love God and Love thy neighbor as thyself. If we love God then we will love our neighbors and if we love our neighbors, we love God. A simple win-win scenario that while easy to understand is difficult in practice. I truly believe that we see the face of Christ in our relationships. Am I listening to God and keeping conversation with Him? Look for the face of Christ today and see who looks back. |