The Greatest of These
We’ve gone through the ten commandments, looking at how they give direction to living a life that’s pleasing to God. We saw that we tend to put more weight on some commandments than others. We view some as vital (do not murder) and others as somewhat negotiable (do not lie). But how does God, who gave them to us in the first place, view these commandments? Does God see some as more important than others?
The Pharisees wondered the same thing. Or rather, they wanted to trick Jesus by asking Him what they thought was a question that had no answer. They reasoned that every commandment was equally important, so they asked Jesus which one was most important, hoping to catch Him elevating one and thereby devaluing others.
Instead, Jesus encapsulated all the commandments in just two:
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40
If we truly love God, and that is our motivation for all we do, none of the commandments will be broken!
Over the next few weeks we’re going to look at Scripture about loving God and others, and what that should look like day to day.
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8
Keep Seeking the Kingdom!
Heather Penner
Youth Ministries Director