Fine Print: Worship Wholeheartedly — Wednesday
Matthew 22:39
“A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (NLT)
What if Jesus hadn’t said the words we read in today’s verse, the second part of His response to the Pharisees’ trick question, “Which is the most important commandment?” What if verses 39-40 just weren’t in our Bibles?
The first part of His response, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind” (verse 37), seems pretty good by itself. So why did Jesus have to complicate things when He added, “A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself”?
The phrase “equally important” is translated from the Greek word homoios. Other translations say this second command is “like” the first, or “similar” to the first. But I prefer “equally important” because it challenges me, raises the bar, and ultimately hammers the point home strongest.
If Jesus hadn’t said that second part, I think many of us would be very comfortable with His answer. The greatest thing in life is to love God with everything I’ve got. Okay great, I can do that. We would reduce our faith to merely between me and God. Other people just get in the way. They become distractions and annoyances to overlook, to get on with the more important things.
But Jesus doesn’t allow that to be a possibility.
To truly love God… is to love people. I love how Kevin Burgess puts it: “The essence of Christianity is a fervent love of God that is demonstrated in your love for people.”
Period. That’s the point.
We don’t need to overcomplicate it.
Here at Southland, that is the driving force for each of our ministries. That is the mission we’ve been invited to be a part of. As Jesus said, everything hangs on these two commandments (verse 40). So that is the call. If we want to love God with everything we’ve got, we need to look around at the people He has placed in our lives and find ways to love them.
Wednesday’s Reflection
So who is in your life? Probably a variety of people! For today, pick three. Write their names down and ask God to give you creative ideas and opportunities to love them. Then go and do it.
