Jesus washed the feet of his disciples on the night he instituted the Lord’s Supper and gave his new commandment to love one another as he loved us. He served us, ultimately giving his body and blood so that we might be healed, which is the result of our sins forgiven, being reconciled to God, reconciled with one another, and reconciled with the non-human creation. He gave his body to be broken in death so that as we partake of the bread he proclaims to be his body, we are united with one another in his body as his body. This union created in Christ Jesus demands of each one of us that we love one another in the same way that Christ Jesus loved us. That is what it means to be a part of the body of Christ. We share his own life, which is not only the gift of individually passing from death to life and having life after this present life is over, but it is also having life with one another.
As a body we are to share a mutual love, a love that is the opposite of everything described in Prov 6.16-19. The command to love one another assumes our union with one another because the “one another” is a certain group of people, namely, the other disciples of Christ. Love nourishes and enhances the unity and health of the body, which is just the opposite of what the seven abominations do.
Eyes of pride are always looking up to a glory that does not belong to them and looking down on those around them. Proud eyes reveal a person who thinks too much and too often about himself. He eagerly grasps for personal glory, using people for personal gain. Love, on the other hand, is humble, considering the genuine needs of others greater than my own comfort. Love is patient, taking the road of humility to the promised glory, waiting for God to exalt at the proper time.
The lying tongue and the breath that carries its falsehoods work in concert with pride to distort and tear down reality out of fear and hatred. With the two-edged sword of their mouths set on fire from hell, liars will seek to destroy others to avoid the consequences of their own actions or to gain an advantage over others by distorting the truth. Liars destroy relationships. Love speaks the truth and builds up. Even when there are hard words, they are not out of a spirit of vengeance to destroy but rather to build up the person and the body of Christ.
Hands that shed innocent blood use power or authority to take hold of those not deserving of death but give it to them anyway. Love uses authority to give life, taking hold of people to lift them up and bring God’s order.
The heart that devises wicked imaginations is command central to the corrupted body. The heart of the wicked uses God-given creative abilities to disorder the creation. Love submits to God’s designs and works within those designs to make what is true, good, and beautiful
Feet swiftly running to evil carry this distorted and diseased body quickly, eagerly, and without hesitation to run after that which brings disorder and chaos, tearing apart what God would have joined together. It is perverted dominion: bringing chaos where God calls for order. Love runs as well, but it runs to bring reconciliation and order where there is chaos and disorder; where sin has created a breach, love runs to create reconciliation.
Sowing discord among brothers is the apex of these abominations and their end. In unleashing conflict or sowing discord, this body destroys the larger body of which he is a part, instigating and fomenting conflict in the body. Jesus calls us instead to love one another. Love promotes and seeks earnestly peace and unity, wholeness and health that is life-giving between brothers.
Following our Lord Jesus, we are to give our bodies in love to one another so that the body of Christ might be unified and healthy. If we are to create and maintain a healthy body these seven abominations must not characterize our lives. We must, instead, love one another as Christ has loved us, giving our bodies to serve the body of Christ.
