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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness Gal 5:22 |
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Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Monday, July 25, 2022
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :The Great Commandment Bible Verse:Matthew 22:34-40 (ESV) "But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” " Message:
Unlike the verses before, where the powerful leadership of Judaism was trying to get Jesus to hang himself by his words, the question posed by this Pharisee sounds benign. He calls Jesus “Rabbi”. He sounds inquisitive, not openly hostile. Perhaps the Pharisees were somewhat placated that Christ had made fools of their enemies, the Sadducees. Or perhaps this was one of the silent believers:
Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. (John 12:42-43)
In Mark's account of this incident, in fact, the questioner expresses admiration of Christ for his wisdom. (Mark 12:28-34) The point is, the narrative shifts from historical to didactic, which is a fancy way of saying that Jesus's answer is meant primarily for our ears, not the questioner's.
The Bible is a huge, complex, difficult, and often apparently self-contradictory book. Christ gives us these two simple commandments so that we might never get lost in a sea of ideas. Doctrine and theology are not the road to salvation. Love of God and love of one's neighbor are our two fixed points, our compass, our GPS. Complex doctrine and abstruse theology are the in-flight entertainment; or at best, perhaps, instructions on how to raise and lower one's tray table.
We have been studying some very particular information on the religion and politics of Israel at the time of Christ, and especially how they interacted with him and his message. It is good to know these things. It helps us feel more comfortable reading the Gospel. It gives us a richer and fuller understanding of what is written. Perhaps it makes it more likely that we will read the Bible and that it will make sense to us.
But it is more important that we remember where we are headed. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” When we feel troubled or confused, all we have to do is repeat that until our orientation is corrected.
Every Christian would do well to burn these two simple sentences so deeply into his or her heart that they become automatic. They are a test for our every action. They are the first standard for every thought we think and every belief we hold.
The second commandment does raise one question: Who is our neighbor? Unfortunately, Christ's direct answer is not recorded in Matthew, but only in Luke 10. But to say it simply: There is nobody God does not want us to love.
Meditation : Prayer : Oh God who has made me, oh God who keeps me, oh God who will be my Lord through all eternity, shine down Your blessings and wisdom upon me like the sun upon a field; and may I keep You in the forefront of my every thought and deed, throughout this day, and evermore........Amen |
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