Devotional - May 18, 2022
Scripture: Mark 12: 30-31
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength (Deut 6: 4-5 and Josh 22:5).’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Lev 19:18).’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
I thought over the Summer we could focus on bearing the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5: 22-23). What does that mean? Most of us are familiar with the text I cited above in Mark. We've covered this ground before. Jesus is in conversation with a teacher of the law and the question arises, what is the greatest commandment? And, it is a good question to pose to someone who is touting themselves as a rabbi. If the same question were asked to Christians today, I wonder what people would say and how would they back it up? Jesus' answer leads to a startling observation He makes about the man's response, "you are not far from the kingdom of God." (Mark 12:34). It was great that the man knew the answer, but now, could he live it? The wording used to describe the laws cited are specific. The four fold observance covers all areas of the human experience. We are called to love with our whole being. If we define the term used for love in the text it means to value, esteem, feel or manifest generous concern for, be faithful towards; to delight in. The same definition applies for love in the Leviticus text. When it came to living out the law, Jesus was pressed further to define who exactly was our neighbor (Luke 10:29). His answer nullifies any argument for labelling anyone an enemy. But if we get rid of enemies, how do we know who the good guys are? Moreover, how do we know who the bad guys are? One of the things implied with loving God with all of our mind, is loving what God created with all of our mind. Being discerning and acting wisely are never factored out of a loving disposition. Have you ever been corrected in a way that made you feel better? You were anxious and happy to make the corrections that were pointed out to you. Sadly, not everyone has, but if you have, you know what God was calling for in these commands. If you want to read a good book on the topic read, The Anatomy of Peace, Second Edition, by the Arbinger Institute. It is written in story form, but it makes the point that what is going on inside someone is just as important, and bears a direct influence upon what occurs outside. It's a good book. But, is that important when we say we are expressing love toward someone else? Isn't that a bit heady, or cognitive, for what we usually consider as an expression of love? If we stay with the spirit of the command in Deuteronomy, no. One of the reasons the mind is cited is because it is not to be left out. Unfortunately, the people who struggle with this command have received very little love in their life. When they do, they may not recognize it as such. Dealing with someone in this condition can be a real test. As we all know, being loving is not easy or simple. For today, let's just focus on ourselves and our outlook. When you look into the world, what do you see? What is the world full of? What is going on? If all your answers turn south into negativity and concern, that's not good. Not to mention, it is hard to reconcile with the text today. Jesus never looked past the problems, but instead He focused on the solutions. He never looks past sin, but instead He called us to reconsider the issue, to change our minds (repent). Most importantly, He does not get pulled down and stuck in all the evil and issues (Matthew 6:22-23, Luke 11:34), but instead He calls us to follow His lead as we deal with it in a loving way.
Pray with me... Loving God, we are so thankful that Your love never ends. You guide us, correct us, and inform us throughout our life. And when we do not understand, we can rely on Your faithfulness and love. Help us each day to live our life and enjoy all You have provided. Be with our loved ones, bless them in accordance with their needs. And be with and bless our church, that we can be the blessing You need us to be in our world today. In Jesus name, Amen.
God's peace,
Pastor Brian
