A Trick Question

Deuteronomy 5:32 (NRSVue) - You must therefore be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn to the right or to the left.

Moses delivered God’s commandments to the people.

Moses was to be the intermediary between God and the people.

God would instruct Moses.

Moses would, in turn, instruct the people.

And it was important that God’s word be obeyed.

Today we live in a New Covenant.

We have a new intermediary in Christ.

But there were those who continued to live under the Old Covenant.

They continued to live under the law.

The Pharisees gathered and tried to trick Jesus.

They put forward a man who asked Jesus which command was the greatest.

Jesus gave him a two-fold answer.

Matthew 22:37-39 (NRSVue) - 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.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Christ understood that the commandments were about relationships.

Some commandments are about our relationship with God.

The rest are about our relationship with those around us.

He also knew that the foundation of these relationships was love.

Jesus attempted to simplify the matter for his questioner.

When we completely love both God and our neighbor, we are keeping all the commandments.

But love must be demonstrated.

It must be demonstrated in thought, word, and action.

On the surface, this might seem easier said than done.

But it is possible when we look to the words and example of Jesus.

He can help us control our thoughts.

He can help us carefully choose our words.

And, most importantly, he can help us put our love into action.

As we do, we become the reflection of His light into a dark world.

We become the reflection of His eternal and limitless love.

We can then love God without hesitation or reservation.

We will be doing what God commands of us.

Matthew 22:40 (NRSVue) - On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 23, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, July 7, 2023