First, Do No Harm

First, Do No Harm

Romans 13:8-10

            Anyone who has read enough medical novels, seen enough doctor movies or TV shows, or has anything to do with the medical profession will recognize the title.  It’s a misquotation from the Hippocratic Oath, the vow taken by doctors and other medical personnel as they begin their careers.  The actual quote is, “never do harm to anyone.” 

“First, do no harm” is a good place for medical personnel to start.  If they can avoid making a situation worse, they can begin to work on the healing process.  If their treatment causes more damage than has already been done by disease, illness, or trauma, then that situation must be reversed before the original problem can be addressed.

“First, do no harm” is good advice for all of us.  If our interactions with others cause damage to those relationships, we have reclamation work to do before we can build something positive.

Paul understood this.  Although he may not have heard of the Hippocratic Oath (and was certainly not a doctor), Paul knew how easy it can be to harm relationships.  Remember his letter to the church at Philippi:  “I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.  Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women…”  Paul was concerned enough about the rift to encourage them to make peace, and to ask that others help resolve the conflict.

It may seem strange to hear Paul speak fervently about love.  We expect discourses on love from John.  His first letter is full of entreaties for believers to love each other.  Paul usually holds forth on other subjects, but here he focuses on love, and he does so by returning to the commandments—at least some of them.  Exodus 20:1-16 gives us all ten, but Paul is only concerned here with the last six.  The first four deal with humankind’s relationship with God.  The last six deal with humankind’s relationship with each other.  We know Jesus said the two great commandments were to love God and love neighbor.  The first four commandments are about how we show our love for God.  The rest are about how we show our love for people.

Paul says that the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.  Then, after quoting the human-to human commandments to support his point, he uses the same language Jesus used to sum up:  “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  Like Jesus, Paul recognized the need for healthy self-love—not the narcissistic love that causes us (again to quote Paul) to “think more highly of ourselves than we ought,” but a realization of our value as God’s creatures, the same value in which we should hold all God’s creation.  When we learn to love all our neighbors in this way we will begin to live—and love—like Jesus.

We’re used to hearing Paul speak against the law, but here he speaks for it.  Is this a contradiction?  By no means!  The law Paul so frequently criticizes is the formal structure imposed by the Pharisees.  Here Paul cuts to the heart of the law—love!  Remember:  “The one who loves another has fulfilled the law.”

The last verse of this passage brings us back to the misquote in the title: “First, do no harm.”  Paul says, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love fulfills the law.”  When we avoid doing harm to our neighbors we are on the path of fulfillment.  As we interact with others, whatever else we do we must be sure we don’t damage our relationships.  This gives us a starting point to build positive ties to our neighbors.

And who is our neighbor? 

Who isn’t our neighbor?