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!
