Great Commandment | the Hunt for Truth

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God, Gospel of Matthew, Great Commandment, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Prophets, Religion and Spirituality, spirituality

I started the day thinking about:

Matthew 22
The Greatest Commandment

³⁴ Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

The first speaks for itself… the greatest and most important thing we can do is love God — love GOD — with all your soul and with all your mind. Of the second, there is much in daily living that tends to steer us of course. However, reviewing of some additional verses is usually helpful.

Jesus is quoted also in John 13:34-35 saying “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

In Matthew 5:14-16, we are told (by Jesus): “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Careful reading of Chapter 5 of Matthew brings clearly an awareness that how I live among my neighbors is something that is of great importance.

Other verse give specific reference to this way of life that Jesus commanded.

Romans 13:8–10
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Clearly we are to move away from our selfishness and worldliness. This loving a neighbor as we love ourselves is not something I can do entirely on my own. I find that I need a spirit of peace and serenity and that this awakening requires daily renewal. I must do a bit of reading and reflecting — I am to keep my person in order for doing what is good. I am to love others impartially.

Holy Spirit
I look to Jesus — my strength is nothing without God’s Will and Holy Spirit.