Meet Michael Moss

It's helpful to simplify complex things by narrowing them down to a single principle. For example, one of our law school professors told us in week one that everything we'd learn about the law over the next three years could be summarized in the single statement: "Treat people right." Professor Shuman was spot on. In today's verse, Paul tells us that all of the commandments instructing us what not to do to others can be "summed up" in the single instruction to love our neighbors as ourselves.

It's obvious how adultery, murder, and stealing cause harm to our neighbor and don't demonstrate the love we would hope to receive. But coveting is an internal thought or emotion. How does it harm our neighbor? After all—if we're being honest—don't we often want people to envy us and wish they had what we have?

Let's first look at what covet means. The dictionary.com definition is "to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others." Good—that doesn't sound like something I'd do. But it further indicates that it also means "to wish for, especially eagerly" and that "envy" is a synonym. Uh-oh. How many times have I envied others and eagerly wished I had their success, talents and abilities, or material possessions? Too many to count! But what's the harm?

When I envy my neighbor and covet what he has, I'm focused on myself and what I want, not my neighbor and what he needs. I can't truly love my neighbor then. Love does not envy (1 Corinthians 13:4), and coveting leads to conflict rather than unity (James 4:2). Coveting and envy are idolatry (Colossians 3:5) that defiles me (Mark 7:21-23), interferes with my ability as a follower of Christ to witness to my neighbor (Ephesians 5:3), and fosters the lie that abundant life can be found in something other than Christ (Luke 12:15; John 10:10).

Therefore, to love my neighbor, I must keep my focus away from myself and what I want and focus instead on my neighbor and what my neighbor needs—particularly when my neighbor needs Christ.