Have you ever seen a sign, policy, or law and thought: “I wonder what forced them to put that in writing?”

When we moved into our house in 2020, we did so with the understanding that we were going to be part of a Homeowner’s Association, an entity that perhaps has a lower approval rating than Congress or the common cold. Ours is not overly prescriptive, but there was one rule that stuck out to me when we were signing our introductory paperwork: “The use of ATVs on community property is strictly prohibited.”

It was clear that at some point, some careless people tore up our community park, disturbing the physical spaces that we all share, and the peaceful tranquility that defines our neighborhood. A transgression against the well-being of the entire community. Thus, the rule.

Our HOA has a list of rules not unlike the ones referenced in the book of Deuteronomy today – specific (and numerous) commands to prevent neighborhood transgressions – and to punish those who do not comply. Much like the rest of society, the rules are there to explain what you shouldn’t do in order to exist in this community. Not what you should be doing.

That paradigm is what Jesus upends in our Gospel reading today: His fulfillment of the law is to turn it entirely on its head. No longer is the law a list of hundreds of precepts or regulations, rather the new commandment is quite simple: “love one another as I have loved you.” Jesus challenges us to understand not just the why behind the rules, but to make that the motivating factor in all of our decision making. Even in the little things, the tiniest letters, we are challenged to strive for perfection. By proclaiming to fulfill the law, Jesus calls us to make choices rooted in love, trust, and respect, not in fear or out of obligation. All at once, our lives are made radically more simple and infinitely harder: make love the foundation of your life.

Perhaps if we truly lived that out, instead of the hundreds of pages of by-laws, governing documents, and rules, my HOA would only have to state one rule: “love and respect your common spaces.”