The Greatest Commandment - Matthew 22:34-40
Prayers for the People: Before we start today, would you join me in prayer for both the families that lost loved ones in the shooting at University of California Santa Barbara, where 6 young lives were taken. And then yesterday we learned of a family of four found dead at their home in Mission Viejo. The family attends and were active at Mount of Olive, Lutheran Church in Mission Viejo, a church we are connected to in mission and ministry. Prayers for all of these families, their friends and especially our young people as they sort out these acts of violence and rely on God for comfort, hope, peace and healing in Jesus' name. Amen.
The Greatest Commandment
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Reflection: After silencing the Sadducees and putting to rest their false notion of the resurrection, Jesus encounters an expert in the Law. The Scribes were the ones who made it their jobs to interpret the finer points of the Law, but it appears there were a sub class of scribes, who were lawyers who interpreted the Law in terms of the practical details. This lawyer tries to test Jesus with his question. Some factions of the Pharisees disagreed on just what part of the Law was most important. Some groups focused on the ceremonial law, others on Sabbath day laws, but Jesus gives a broader and deeper answer which gives the full intent of the Law.
And it is summed up by one word, "love". For all the complications of interpretation this one is pretty easy. If we love God with all of being (heart, soul and mind) and then love our neighbors as ourselves we will have fulfilled the entire purpose of all the laws. In my family there was a toast given at every family wedding. It was, "to love and be loved is the greatest joy on earth." And I would add that this love is made possible by God, who is love. God proved His love for us by sending His Son Jesus to this earth. We see by this action, that God's love is unconditional.
As I prayed up above it is hard to imagine a person who could commit the acts mentioned, but it is certainly the antithesis of love of neighbor. And notice the phrase "love your neighbor as yourself". What fuels us to love our neighbor? As we understand, appreciate and receive God's love we can truly love ourselves and this always leads to love of neighbor. This is not a narcissistic self-love, but a respect and dignity for one's worth and identity as formed by being a child of God and deeply loved by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As the bible states in 1 John states, "We can love because He first loved us!"
Do you see yourself as loved by God and that You are His most precious possession? The bible is really a love story from beginning to end, showing us the great lengths God has gone to bring us into a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus. And the bible tells us that this relationship will last on into eternity. In the midst of the tragedies we have seen here in the Southern California the last couple of days, we need to cling to God's promise that God's love never fails. And one day when The Lord calls us home we will meet that love face to face!
Jesus we pray that our love for You is fueled by understanding the deep love You have for us. Thank you for the bible which preserves the greatest love story of all time. I pray for all those that are hurting and experiencing deep loss that they would be comforted by Your love that never fails. Help us to take this love you have given us to love others you bring into our path today. Amen.
The Greatest Commandment
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Reflection: After silencing the Sadducees and putting to rest their false notion of the resurrection, Jesus encounters an expert in the Law. The Scribes were the ones who made it their jobs to interpret the finer points of the Law, but it appears there were a sub class of scribes, who were lawyers who interpreted the Law in terms of the practical details. This lawyer tries to test Jesus with his question. Some factions of the Pharisees disagreed on just what part of the Law was most important. Some groups focused on the ceremonial law, others on Sabbath day laws, but Jesus gives a broader and deeper answer which gives the full intent of the Law.
And it is summed up by one word, "love". For all the complications of interpretation this one is pretty easy. If we love God with all of being (heart, soul and mind) and then love our neighbors as ourselves we will have fulfilled the entire purpose of all the laws. In my family there was a toast given at every family wedding. It was, "to love and be loved is the greatest joy on earth." And I would add that this love is made possible by God, who is love. God proved His love for us by sending His Son Jesus to this earth. We see by this action, that God's love is unconditional.
As I prayed up above it is hard to imagine a person who could commit the acts mentioned, but it is certainly the antithesis of love of neighbor. And notice the phrase "love your neighbor as yourself". What fuels us to love our neighbor? As we understand, appreciate and receive God's love we can truly love ourselves and this always leads to love of neighbor. This is not a narcissistic self-love, but a respect and dignity for one's worth and identity as formed by being a child of God and deeply loved by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As the bible states in 1 John states, "We can love because He first loved us!"
Do you see yourself as loved by God and that You are His most precious possession? The bible is really a love story from beginning to end, showing us the great lengths God has gone to bring us into a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus. And the bible tells us that this relationship will last on into eternity. In the midst of the tragedies we have seen here in the Southern California the last couple of days, we need to cling to God's promise that God's love never fails. And one day when The Lord calls us home we will meet that love face to face!
Jesus we pray that our love for You is fueled by understanding the deep love You have for us. Thank you for the bible which preserves the greatest love story of all time. I pray for all those that are hurting and experiencing deep loss that they would be comforted by Your love that never fails. Help us to take this love you have given us to love others you bring into our path today. Amen.
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