Owe no one anything, except to love one another …
Rome, August 10, 1990 Commentary of the Word of Life: Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law (Rom. 13:8).1 In the preceding verses (Rom. 13:1-7) Paul refers to what we owe the civil authorities (obedience, respect, paying taxes etc.). He stresses that this debt should also be paid in a spirit of love. Of course, such a debt is easily understood, all the more so because if we neglect it, we are penalized by law. On this basis, Paul goes on to speak of another debt, one that’s a bit more difficult to understand. It is our debt, following the instructions Jesus left us, towards every neighbour. It is mutual love in its various expressions: generosity, thoughtfulness, trust, mutual esteem, sincerity and so on (see Rom. 12, 9-12) Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. This Word of Life emphasizes two things. In the first place, love