COMMANDMENTS OF JESUS

As God the Son and the Second Person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus added to the 10 commandments given to Moses.  Jesus’ greatest commandment is to love one another as he has loved us (#50).

The following Commandments of Jesus help us to explain Jesus’ unique definition of love.  To love as Jesus loved means having to:

1.    GO TO CONFESSION: “From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matthew 4:17)

2.    MAKE JESUS YOUR ROLE MODEL: “He said to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” (Matthew 4:19).

3.    LET YOUR DECISIONS REFLECT GOD’S WILL: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.“ (Matthew 5:16)

4.    DON’T HOLD GRUDGES: “Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison.” (Matthew 5:25)

5.    RESIST TEMPTATION: “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.” (Matthew 5:29-30)

6.    DON’T BE SCARED TO SAY WHAT OTHERS DON’T WANT TO HEAR:  “Let your word be “Yes” if yes or “No” if no; anything more than this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:34-37)

7.    RESIST EVIL IN A NON-VIOLENT WAY:  “You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you: Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.” (Matthew 5:38-39)

8.    YOU MUST GIVE TO THE POOR:  “Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:40-42)

9.    LOVE YOUR ENEMIES:  “You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:43-45)

10.    LOVE PEOPLE WHO ARE HARD TO LOVE:  “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

11.    BE HUMBLE, DON’T SHOW OFF:  “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1)

12.    PRAY EVERYDAY: “Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:9-15)

13.    FOLLOWING THE LATEST TREND IS NOT THE GOAL OF LIFE: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

14.    WHEN YOU FEEL ANXIOUS OR WORRIED, TURN TO GOD:  “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26)

15.    DON’T PUT YOUR WILL OVER GOD’S WILL: “Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

16.    DO NOT JUDGE HYPOCRITICALLY:  “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbour, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5)

17.    HONOUR YOUR BODY BECAUSE IT IS HOLY: “Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you.” (Matthew 7:6)

18.    TRUST THAT GOD WILL GIVE YOU WHAT YOU NEED:  “Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” (Matthew 7:7)

19.    TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD WANT TO BE TREATED:  “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.”  (Matthew 7:12)

20.    JUST BECAUSE EVERYONE IS DOING IT DOES NOT MEAN IT’S RIGHT:  “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

21.    DON’T JUST TRUST SOMEONE BECAUSE THEY CALL THEMSELVES ‘CHRISTIANS’: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15)

22.    PRAY FOR ANYONE WHO TEACHES ABOUT JESUS: When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9: 36-38)

23.    MAKE A DIFFERENCE:  “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.” (Matthew 10:8)

24.    BE INNOCENT YET CUNNING WHEN DEALING WITH SATAN: “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16)

25.    DON’T GIVE UP ON JESUS IF PEOPLE MAKE FUN OF YOU: “You will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:22)

26.    PUT JESUS FIRST BEFORE ANYONE: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:37-38)

27.    WHEN YOU’RE STRESSED, TURN TO JESUS: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

28.    HONOUR YOUR PARENTS:  “God said, “Honour your father and your mother,” and, “Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.” (Matthew 15:4)

29.    DO NOT TURN CHILDREN AGAINST JESUS:  “Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10)

30.    CORRECT SOMEBODY WHO IS WRONG:  “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector.” (Matthew 18:15-17)

31.    OBEY GOD’S DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE: “Haven’t you read,” Jesus replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Matthew 19:4-6)

32.    LEAD BY BEING A SERVANT: “Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave” (Matthew 20:26-27)

33.    LOVE THE LORD AND LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR: “He said to him, ‘ “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)

34.    DO NOT EXALT YOURSELF: “But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:8-12)

35.    PREPARE FOR JESUS’ JUDGMENT BY HELPING THE POOR: “Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” (Matthew 25:34-36)

36.    MAKE JESUS KNOWN BY TEACHING HIS COMMANDMENTS:  “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

37.    DON’T IGNORE YOUR SINS BUT DEAL WITH THEM: For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:21-23)

38.    DO NOT BE ASHAMED OF JESUS: “Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:38)

39.    RESPECT PROTESTANT AND ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS:  “John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mark 9:38-40)

40.    BELIEVE THAT PRAYER HAS POWER:  “Jesus answered them, ‘Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea”, and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:22-24)

41.    FORGIVE IF YOU WANT TO BE FORGIVEN BY GOD:  “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses”  (Mark 11:25-26)

42.    DO WHAT JESUS WOULD DO:  “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

43.    SHOW MERCY ALL THE TIME: “ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37)

44.    BE READY TO BE JUDGED BY JESUS:  “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” (Luke 12:40)

45.    GO TO MASS ONCE A WEEK:  “Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” (Luke 22:19-20)

46.    ACCEPT THAT JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN:  “Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above” (John 3:7)

47.    DON’T THINK THAT ANY ACT OF SERVICE IS BENEATH YOU: “So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:14)

48.    OBEY JESUS’ COMMANDMENTS TO SHOW YOU LOVE HIM:  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments”. (John 14:15)

49.    LIFE IS WASTED WITHOUT JESUS:  “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” (John 15:4)

50.    MAKE JESUS YOUR ROLE MODEL OF LOVE: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

NOTE: All of Jesus’ commandments can be summarized with this commandment.