The Greatest Commandment

This week, we are considering Mark 12:28-34.  In this passage, Jesus answers a question regarding what is the most important commandment.  Christ summarizes all of the law and the prophets in one word - love.

We are to love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength.  We are also to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. 

Love should be our witness to the world.  As the song goes, "They'll know we are Christians by our love."  In this time and place, however, the world often fails to see love as an earmark of those who follow Jesus.  We need to consider what we think, what we say, and what we do and determine if love is the motivating force in our lives.  We must show the world the love of Christ.

Paul describes this love in 1 Corinthians 13.  In verses 4-7 we read:

Love is patient and kind. 

Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. 

Love does not demand its own way. 

Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. 

It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

If we truly are following Jesus Christ, we should embody such love.  These verses should describe us.  I challenge you to put your own name in place of love in the verses above.  For me, those verses would read like this:

Linda is patient and kind.

Linda is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.

Linda does not demand her own way.

Linda is not irritable, and keeps no record of when she has been wronged.

Linda is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

Linda never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Doing this, I can quickly see how I fall short of the mark.  The only person who ever could perfectly fulfill this description of love is Jesus Christ.

Jesus is patient and kind.

Jesus is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.

Jesus does not demand his own way.

Jesus is not irritable, and keeps no record of when he has been wronged.

Jesus is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

Jesus never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Let us cherish the love of Christ and strive to embody such love. 

Pray that God will fill you with divine love so that you can live in that love and give it to the world that so greatly needs such love.

"They'll know we are Christians by our love..."  Make it so.

Pastor Linda