Matthew 22:34-40

Matthew 22:34-40

But after the Pharisees heard that He caused the Sadducees to have nothing to say, they gathered together by themselves.  And one lawyer out of them asked Jesus a question while putting Him to the test.  “Teacher, what commandment is greatest in the Law?”  And He was saying to him, “You will love the Lord your God in your whole heart, and in your whole soul, and in your whole mind.  This is the greatest and first commandment.  And the second is similar to it.  You will love your neighbor as yourself.  In these two commandments the whole Law and Prophets depend.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

In this passage, Jesus gives us the proper definition of religion in Christian terms.  True religion begins with the love of God.  True religion puts God in the center of our life.  True religion is founded upon God and God’s ways.  Reality is simple.  If God is not at the center of our life, we aren’t really following Him.

Are you following God?  Is God genuinely at the center of your life?

Second Thought:

 Of course, our love for God does not stay focus just on Him.  God is not centered on Himself.  He sent His Son so that we (the other) could be saved.  As we focus on God and God’s love, we must realize that true religion points us to consider others.  If we are genuinely following God, we will sacrifice for the people around us.  True religion that is focused on God by definition leads into ministry towards the people around us.

Does your religion lead to ministry?  Where is the fruit of your faith in the world around you?

Third Thought:

I love this passage for one very great reason.  This passage is an incredible passage out of which we can teach by omission.  Look again at the two commandments about which Jesus speaks.  Love God.  Love your neighbor.  Notice what isn’t present.  Nowhere does Jesus need to tell us to love ourselves.  Of course, I’m not saying that we should hate ourselves, either.  But the truth is that most of us have no problem loving ourselves.  Most of us have no trouble pursuing our own desires.  We are the chief self-monger on the planet!  If we look at Jesus’ teaching, He is essentially saying that the great commandments are great because they point to how we need to crucify ourselves.  We need to put aside our own agendas and put God’s agendas first.  We need to put aside our own agendas and look for that which brings God’s will into the lives of the people around us.  The two great commandments inherently lead us into the idea that we are crucified with Christ.

Have you ever noticed that the “self” is not present in either of the two great commandments?  In what specific ways does this speak into your life?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 22:41-46