Matthew 22:34-40
The Great Commandment
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
As Jesus moved ever closer to the cross he was confronted by the Pharisees who were trying to test him. I sometimes wonder if we try and test Jesus, in fact I know that I have tested Jesus. Having parented and in the process of parenting 7 children and 2 foster children I am very experienced in how children test their boundaries. They test us to see how much they can get away with and also test us to try and trip us up much the same way the Pharisees tested Jesus here. I also remember times in my life where my main motive of studying the scriptures was to know how much I could get away with. I am sure there are still times I do this and just writing this brings me embarrassment.
When I see people who call themselves Christians thinking they can pull the wool over God’s eyes with their choices and behaviours I am grieved as I know He is. Jesus is calling us to a relationship with him and our study of the scriptures and the formation of our faith is to draw us closer to him to walk in continual fellowship and friendship for all eternity. Sam Storms famous quote says “God created you for the first and greatest commandment, to be a lover of God.” Are you a lover of God? Is everything you do framed and filtered through these two commandments to love God and love others? As I write this I am deeply challenged, yesterday as my 5 year old was pushing my buttons, not obeying a simple request to wear shoes when he was on the road riding his scooter my reaction was complete anger and frustration. My reaction was not framed or filtered in love for him but only for punishing his poor behaviour.
Lord, as we walk through this week in anticipation and expectation of your death, burial and resurrection I pray today that you will reveal our motives as it pertains to our relationship with you. Lord make us lovers of You, fully sold out to your greatest commandment, to love you with our whole hearts, souls and minds. Lord, help us to love others and for those of us who struggle to love ourselves. Lord give us a new revelation of your love. You are love, we pray your love will manifest itself in and through us back to you and to others. Amen.