Do all these evildoers know nothing? They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on God. – Psalm 53:4

Today's Scripture Reading (August 24, 2025): Psalm 53

I read an interesting response on social media this week. The post was dressed up as a Christian Post, but it really wasn't, and someone decided to respond to the post by saying, "I don't know anyone who cares about what the Bible says." The things that Christians have led the world to believe are in the Bible, but are actually debatable or outright false, are numerous. We often seem to want to make our opinions biblical. And then we speak with disdain when someone disagrees with us. In the process, what is actually in the Bible is often overlooked.

About a year ago, I had a conversation with a friend about what I believe is the central thrust of the Bible. The central thrust is not righteousness; it is love. And the response from my friend was honest, and I think he echoed the belief of many people. His response was, "Isn't there a list of commandments that we have to fulfill, and after that is done, then we love?" That is the way we live, and it is sometimes precisely what we teach. But it is also false. Listen to the words of Jesus.

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:34-40).

Jesus's teaching is not to keep the commandments, and when you have done that, then learn to love. It is the reverse; Jesus says, "If you love, then you will have kept all of the commandments and all the instructions of the Prophets throughout history." If a prophet is preaching hate, then he is not a prophet. I have been struggling with this passage and have concluded that every law and every commandment that we find in the Bible finds its origin and its basis in the law of love. Or from the other side of the coin, the violation of every commandment is somehow a violation of love.

David seems to conclude that evildoers lack knowledge. Sometimes that might be true. But often I think the real problem is not that we don't know that we should love, but that we have decided that love isn't as important as something else. I also believe that if the church lived biblical love, then there would be many more people who would care about what might be hidden within the pages of the Bible.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 58