Psalm 133

Unity. What is more good and pleasant than the roar of agreement through unity?

Psalm 133:1-3 (NET) "Look! How good and how pleasant it is when brothers truly live in unity. It is like fine oil poured on the head, which flows down the beard - Aaron's beard, and then flows down his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, which flows down upon the hills of Zion. Indeed, that is where the LORD has decreed a blessing will be available-eternal life. 

The benefit of unity is peace and love within the covenant community which includes Gentile Christians. Since the work that Jesus did on the cross, bridging the gap between man and God as mediator - through his death and the literal tearing of the temple curtain symbolically opens up free access for all men to approach the throne of grace. It is not natural for man to unconditionally love, it's not in our fallen nature to do so because man's heart is desperately self-seeking and violent. Through transformation in Christ alone through faith alone man's heart can be rooted and established in love - you see, man has to first be properly oriented with his love for God before he can even begin to love others. This is why Paul prays over the Ephesian church:

Ephesians 3:16-19 (NIV) "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and how long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

Love for God must precede love for others, in fact I would go as far to say that man cannot effectively love others unless he first loves God with all his heart, mind, soul and strength, because immediately after citing this as the Greatest Commandment, Jesus said that the second is to love your neighbor as yourself, quoting Leviticus 19:18. In fact, the teacher of the law who spoke with Jesus emphatically states, "To love [God] with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." This is deeply profound and unlocks a principle leading one toward better understanding the kingdom of God. Interestingly the gospel of Mark at the end of 12:34 says that after this point no one, teachers of the law or Pharisees dared ask Jesus any more questions, I believe this speaks volumes to the concept of unity. How can division be crushed? Through truth, love and humility unto righteousness, beginning first with one's submission and love for God. 

I John 4:7-12 (NIV) "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."

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