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Who Do You Love?
Good Tuesday Morning;
Before starting today’s devotional I ran across the following quotes:
The most glaring example of the cognitive dissonance on the left is the concept that human beings are inherently good, yet at the same time cannot be trusted with any kind of weapon, unless the magic fairy dust of government authority gets sprinkled upon them. Moshe Ben-David
“A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.”
- George Washington
Jumping into the devotional for today, I thought I would cover what is probably a very familiar text of the Scriptures; Matthew 22:34-40.
The Greatest Commandment
22:34-40
34Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.
35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
38This is the first and greatest commandment.
39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
The Pharisees Question Jesus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Jesus had just been before the Sadducees and they had asked him difficult questions hoping to trip him up and find something to try him on because they were threatened by his power and following. This time it was the turn of the Pharisees; both groups of religious leaders were struggling with the influence Jesus was exerting. (see Matthew 21:23-27)
Notice that the one with the question was “an expert in the law”. He felt that he had a question which no matter how it was answered would get Jesus in trouble. Which ever commandment he chose, he would be saying that the others were not as important which would have been blasphemous since God himself had given the commandments or laws. But Jesus was up to the task and answered it easily.
If each of us as Christians, really took these verses to heart on a weekly, daily, and hourly basis many of the troubles we find ourselves in would be solved. When we love God with all of our heart, soul and mind it guides us to see what God’s answer is for each specific trouble or trial in our lives. Personally I find that when I get in the most trouble is when I am thinking of “I”. What I want. What I need. What I feel.
Notice that the second part of the “Greatest Commandment or the second command is “to love your neighbor as yourself”. How often do we practice this? How different a world would it be if we could incorporate this into our daily lives? How often do I, give myself a pass on something that I have done but complain about a neighbor that has the same problem?
Lastly, back to the beginning of the text, how many “religious people or leaders” are trying to manipulate people into following them rather than Christ Jesus because they want power rather than because of their love of God? I believe that this even speaks to people that are not Christians. These people can fall into two groups; people that are honestly asking questions about what you believe or want to share with you why they think you are wrong for believing the way you do, and those who are openly antagonistic to anything related to God.
The first group are people who you can have an open dialogue with and share what you believe. The second group, like the Pharisees and Sadducees merely want to tear down anything that takes away their power. These people will argue all day long without ever hearing a word you are really saying. They are seldom change their course.
Notice that throughout the New Testament Jesus had an answer for all of these people. Some were open to hearing his message and others rejected it. Your mission, should you accept it is to share the message of Jesus Christ with each person you can. What their response is, we don’t have control over.
Have a great day
Related articles
- 6 is Better Than 10? (5gsandacupofjoe.net)
- It’s All About Relationship | Matthew 22:34-40 | 123 (commonmansbiblejourney.wordpress.com)
6 is Better Than 10?
Good Morning World!
Well it is now after 9 am and I am off to a really late start on today’s devotional. I want to look at what the world recommends as the best way to get along in with everyone; compromise. Why can’t we all just get along? How come you Christians have to be so dogmatic? If you would just compromise a little the world would be a better place.
A couple of news stories are a good example of this.
- President Obama endorsing gay and lesbian marriages.
- A Virginia judge suggesting that removing 4 of the 10 Commandments would solve a legal battle for a Giles County School District.
Obama now believes, most likely for political convenience, that gay and lesbian marriages should be legalized. At the same time he says that he is a Christian. The Bible has a quite clear, black and white message on sex between people of the same sex much less marriage. In fact the Bibles only definition of marriage, is the life time commitment between one man and one woman. That is God’s ideal plan for marriage. Did he allow certain other things like divorce, and multiple wives? Well, you certainly read of these through the Old and New Testament but they are usually relating to a perversion or less than the best situation for the individuals involved.
In America we had laws in all states against perversions of sexual activity. Over the years these have been ignored or revoked. We have compromised our principles and morality because, “it is an individual choice between two consenting adults”. Now that it has become more acceptable we are asked to accept homosexual marriages. Will you compromise?
A Ten Commandments monument which includes the command to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy”. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In the Virginia case Judge Urbanski’s suggestion is that in order to prevent further legal action, the school district should simply cut out the four commandments that refer to God and worship. The full article; ‘Judge Suggests Cutting Four Commandments in Religious Display Case’ can be found here at the New American.
