NEIGHBORLY LOVE
Susan Murray
Today’s Scripture: “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. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39, ESV
Theme: We serve globally to live out our conviction that we serve God and put Him first by also serving our “neighbor.”
LAW OF LOVE
Scripture is filled with many commands and laws. Not only do we have the basic Ten Commandments given to Moses in Exodus 22 but also details spelling out the how-to's in the rest of Exodus and all of Leviticus. (It is a lot and reading them is overwhelming!) An expert in these very laws asked Jesus which one was the most important. Jesus’ answer is our verse for today. Stop and read the verse for today again.
Love, the motive of the heart, is what is most important to God. Jesus continued in teaching in verse 40, saying; "All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands” (Matthew 22:40, CSB). What does that mean? The best illustration I have seen and heard is this:
Just as a bucket at the bottom of the ocean can’t help but be filled with water; a heart full of God's love will be filled with the desire to obey His laws. (paraphrase of a teaching from Serge Ministries, Sonship Course). When we fail to obey any law of God, it’s because we have already forgotten the first Commandment—to love God above everything else. And that means we have also forgotten His grace (paraphrase from Martin Luther’s Treatise on Good Works, 1520).
WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?
The same question about the Greatest Commandment appears in Luke 10. This time, Jesus gives us the Parable of the Good Samaritan. One of the takeaways is that our neighbor is anyone who is in need. It includes your friends, your enemies, and souls on the other side of the world. You may not know a person, but God does and He loves them. God has called the church, meaning you and me, to be motivated by love to meet the needs of those around us. This includes all types of needs, but what is the greatest need that any of us have? Salvation! The local church is called, just like the first disciples, to go into all the world and share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
GREATEST LOVE
The Greatest Commandment to love God and others ends up convicting me of my failures - that is, if I’m honest with myself. I bet it does the same for you, too. And that is what the Law is supposed to do. Romans 3:20b (NIV) says, “Through the law we become conscious of our sin.” I can get stuck here in guilt and then try harder to love, but that never works. The Law was never meant to change me into a loving person. It is powerless to do so. Its purpose is to point out my need for grace, which has the power to change my heart. Jesus said in John 13:34 (ESV), “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: JUST AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, you also are to love one another.” How did He love us? Jesus is the only human being who fully loved God with all His heart, soul, and mind. And He loved His neighbor as Himself. He left His home in heaven to come here to fulfil the Greatest and the Second Commandment in our place. He took the punishment we deserve for failing to love God first and others, also. What extravagant grace! This grace is the only means to love others through service both locally and globally.
Make It Personal: Every believer is called to go and share with others, near or far, what Jesus has done for them – the Gospel. Is God is calling you to be a foreign missionary, sponsor a child, or invest financially? Keep looking at how Jesus put you first over Himself, as He came to serve you, to save you, till you heart is transformed by that love. This makes it possible for you to love God and others, both near and far. Heed His call... because He loves you.
Pray: Abba Father, You are full of perfect love for me and the world. Forgive me when I forget grace is the only means to grow in love and obedience. Help me to see Your love as more real for me today so that I may love You and others a little more each day. Show me the needs both at home and globally; free me by Your love to serve others in the way You served me. Amen
Read: Romans 7:4; 1 John 4:7-12, 19; 1 Peter 4:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, 1 Corinthians13:2-3
Weekly Memory Verse: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19, ESV