A New Ethic
Wk 3
April 7, 2019

Vertical morality vs Horizontal morality

It turns out Jesus’ primary concern was the horizontal part.

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?”he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “ ‘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.’
28 “You have answered correctly,”Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” —Luke 10:25-29

The man, like us, was looking for how to make himself right with God (vertical) and Jesus wanted him to focus on making things right with his neighbor (horizontal).


Back to the rule -

  • The golden rule - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
  • The rule - “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (Jesus, John 13:34)

A new governing ethic -

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jesus, John 13:35)

  • Far less complicated, but far more demanding.
    **”There are no loopholes in the love Jesus requires of us.” (Irresistible, page 200)

  • “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (Paul, Galatians 5:6)
    -Faith on its own leads to vertical morality
    -Faith expressing itself through love follows the new ethic - the one-another ethic.

Here’s Paul’s list - (Irresistible, page 215)

  • Submit to one another
  • Forgive one another
  • Encourage one another
  • Restore one another
  • Accept one another
  • Care for one another
  • Bear with one another
  • Carry one another’s burdens

“Imagine a world where people were skeptical of what we believed but envious of how well we treated one another.” (Irresistible, page 216)

We are not resistible because of what we believe. We are resistible when we choose to “bite-and-devour” one another instead of love one another.

A better question -
“What does love require of me?” (Irresistible, page 233)