In the liturgical rhythm of Epiphanytide, we encounter two profound Scripture passages that, when read together, illuminate the depths of Christian discipleship and divine authority. The Apostle Paul’s meditation on love in Romans 13:8-10 converges beautifully with Matthew’s account of Christ calming the tempest (8:23-27), revealing the intimate connection between love’s fulfillment of the law and perfect trust in divine sovereignty.
The Debt of Love
St. Paul declares that we should “owe no one anything, except to love one another” (Rom 13:8). This singular debt—perpetual and yet ever-renewed—stands as the foundation of Christian ethics. As St. Augustine observes in his commentary on Romans:
“This debt of love is permanent. You pay it daily and yet you always owe it… For love is itself the fulfillment of all our works. There is the goal; that is why we run: we run toward it, and once we reach it, we shall find rest.”
The Apostle’s enumeration of commandments—against adultery, murder, theft, and covetousness—finds their completion not in mere observance but in love’s transformative power. St. John Chrysostom, in his homilies on Romans, emphasizes this point:
“Love works no ill to his neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Not a mere portion of it, but the whole of it.”
The Storm and the Savior
This perfect love finds its exemplar in Christ Himself, whom Matthew presents commanding even the winds and waves. The disciples’ terror amidst the tempest reveals our human frailty, yet Christ’s rebuke—”Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”—calls us to a deeper trust.
St. Jerome, reflecting on this passage, draws out its spiritual significance:
“This miracle was performed as a sign of His divinity, that we might understand Him to be both the Creator of the whole world and He who rules creation at His pleasure.”
The Convergence of Love and Authority
The connection between these passages becomes clear: true love of neighbor flows from absolute trust in divine authority. The same Christ who commands us to love is He who commands the elements. St. Ambrose of Milan beautifully synthesizes this relationship:
“Where love reigns, fear cannot abide. Perfect love casts out fear, just as Christ’s perfect authority casts out chaos.”
Our love of neighbor, then, becomes possible only through participation in Christ’s own authority over the chaos of our fallen nature. The law finds its fulfillment not through our striving but through our surrender to Divine Love Himself.
Contemporary Application
In our own tempestuous times, these passages speak with renewed urgency. The debt of love we owe to our neighbor cannot be discharged through mere rule-following or social conformity. Rather, it requires the same radical trust demonstrated by Christ’s disciples after witnessing His authority over creation.
When we love our neighbor—whether through acts of mercy, justice, or simple presence—we participate in Christ’s own ordering of chaos into cosmos. Our love becomes not merely ethical behavior but a participation in divine activity.
Conclusion
As we journey through Epiphanytide, these readings remind us that the manifestation of Christ’s glory continues through the Church’s ministry of love. The same authority that calmed the storm empowers us to fulfill the law through love of neighbor.
Let us pray for the grace to trust more deeply in Christ’s authority and to love more perfectly in His Name, that we might be instruments of His peace in our storm-tossed world.
Deo gratias.