Loving Jesus and your neighbor…
In Mark 12:29-31, Jesus said, The First of all commandments is Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord and you will love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all of your soul, and with all your mind, and with all of your strength, this is the first commandment. The second is like, namely this you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.
Gal 5:14, for all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
James 2:8, if you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well.
So then the most import command is to love God then to love your neighbor. However, is God not your neighbor? Is He not near every one of us every second of the day? So, love God as yourself and all those you come in contact with as well. If you were God and then the relationship changed, then would you be happy with your behavior? Then there is that old question that Jesus answered in the parable of the good Samaritan, who is my neighbor? It is whomever you are in contact with and are able to help. Your enemy could be your neighbor, your ex-husband could be your neighbor, your brother could be your neighbor, your neighbor could be your neighbor, etc. So, treat God as good as you would yourself, if you were God, and the way some people act they think they are God. Would you grumble and complain about keeping your laws and statues? Just food for thought…
Father, we offer you all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength, in Jesus of Nazareth’s name, we pray Amen.