THE GREATEST

THE GREATEST

READ:
Matthew 22:34-40

"You shall love the LORD your
God with all your heart, with all
your soul, and with all your mind."
This is the first and great
commandment. -Matthew 22:37-38

What is the greatest thing in sports?  Is it championships?  Records?  Honors?  In the Palestra, the University of Pennsylvania basketball arena, a plaque offers a different perspective on the greatest thing in sports.  It reads:  "To win the game is great.  To play the game is greater.  But to love the games is the greatest of all."  This is a refreshing reminder that sports are, after all, just the games we played with joy as kids.

A religious leader once asked Jesus about greatness:  "Which is the great commandment?"  (Matthew 22:36).  Jesus responded by challenging that leader to love-love God and love others.  Jesus said, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it"  'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Matthew 22:37-39).

Whatever else our faith in Christ compels us to do, there is nothing greater we can do than to show our love-for love reveals the heart of our holy heavenly Father.  After all, "God is love" (1 John 4:8).  It's easy to be sidetracked by lesser things, but our focus must remain on the greatest thing-loving our God.  That in turn enables us to love one another.  There's nothing greater.  Bill Crowder

When amazed by His love or me,
To love Him back became my prayer.
I sought an answer sincerely-
It was:  Love the neighbor who's there. -Verway
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The proof of our love for God
is our obedience to the command

INSIGHT
In Jesus' day, questions about obeying the law had already stirred debate for centuries.  The law contained 613 commands.  Of these, 248 were positive and 365 negative.  To lighten the burden of observance, some Jewish religious leaders had broken down the law into "heavy" and "light."  Jews were encouraged to focus on obeying the "heavy commandments."  The New Testament teaches that even breaking one law, heavy or light, makes a person guilty before God (James 2:10).  When asked about the greatest commandment, Christ spotlighted Israel's creed-the "Shema" (Deuteronomy 6:4), which places love for God at the center of obeying His commands.  Divine affection is to fill the beliver's heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Christ then quoted Leviticus 19:18 to show that the love of God and love for others are forever linked.

Have a blessed day.
God Our Creator's Love Always
Unity & Peace