Have you ever felt overwhelmed by rules and expectations? Think of how
the Jewish people must have felt as they tried to keep up with more than 600
rules from the Old Testament and many more that had been imposed on them by the
religious leaders of their day. And imagine their surprise when Jesus
simplified the pursuit of righteousness by narrowing the list down to just
two—“love the Lord your God”
(Matt. 22:37) and “love your neighbor as yourself” (v.39).
In essence, Jesus is telling us that the way God knows we love Him is by
how we treat people. All of them. Let’s face it—loving our neighbor can be a
challenge. But when we do it to express our love to God, we unleash a powerful
motivation that loves whether the person deserves it or not. And as we love God
and our neighbor, everything else falls into place. If I love my neighbor, I
won’t bear false witness against him, covet his wealth or his wife, or steal
from him. Loving others for God’s sake even provides the grace and strength to
forgive those who have heaped injustices upon us.
Who needs to see God’s love today through you? The more unlovable the
person, the greater the statement about how much you love God!
Loving God is the key to loving others. (RBC)
