Whatever we think about the OT law, we know that the “great commandment” to love God, and to love our neighbor still stands for us today. So what exactly does it mean to keep this command and how are we to go about fulfilling its demands? Jesus teaches in the parable of the Good Samaritan that this law can be truly fulfilled, not by trying to measure up to its standard and keeping score of how well we are doing. That is, in fact contrary to the very heart of the commands meaning. Rather, we fulfill the law when we have become the kind of person who is moved to action by a heart of compassion. When we become the kind of people who respond to the needs we see around us in the same way that God responds, because we are becoming transformed into creatures who are like Him. This radical transformation takes place as we 1) experience His great compassion for us, and 2) as we seek to engage in compassionate acts by helping those who cannot benefit us personally.
