Love God, Love people

 

The Verse of the Day for February 25, 2016 sets forth words from the Lord Jesus:

Matthew 22:37-39(NIV):

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

To understand more fully his response, we need to determine “What was the question, and who asked it?” Looking closely at the verses preceding the Messiah’s reply, we learn this:

Matthew 22:34-36 (NLT):

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. 35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the Law of Moses?”

Here is Jesus’ complete response:

Matthew 22:37-40 (NLT):

37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

In the Lord’s answer we find the foundation upon which all relationships are built. Once again, we acknowledge that “It’s all about relationships,” beginning with our relationship with God, our heavenly Father, and extending to how each individual relates with one another in a variety of contexts.

This often quoted passage, including the summary statement found in verse 40, was the inspiration, in part, for the following poem that expresses the ultimate reward of building and sustaining our relationships with God and with one another:

Building Godly Relationships

Matthew 22:36-40

God sets aside and keeps for Himself a remnant
Of beloved daughters and sons, whom He foreknew
And thus predestined them to keep His covenant,
His righteous ones, called and chosen, faithful and true.
In Christ is defined a Godly relationship,
But we must submit to Jesus and make him Lord
To understand the essence of this true friendship,
Unfolded in these two commandments of God’s Word.
May we renew our vows and never violate
The trust God placed in us but ever seek to find
In Him the strength to walk in love and never hate
But to love God with all our heart and soul and mind.
No longer called servants, may we now be called friends
Who know firsthand that God’s faithfulness never ends.

Israel Houghton summarizes the message and offers this lively reminder: “Love God, Love People”:

Do unto others. . .

The Verse of the Day for January 19, 2016 comes from the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus Christ expresses a command that has become known as the “Golden Rule.”

Matthew 7:12 (NLT):

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”

This admonition follows the section of Matthew known as “The Beatitudes,” described in this manner in a children’s scripture memory song:

The Beatitudes are the “Be Attitudes.”
They help us to see. They help us to be
All that God wants us to be.
We will be blessed and be a blessing in return
When we learn to follow the “Be Attitudes.”

Matthew 7:12 offers a guideline for human behavior that can be found in some of the writings of ancient civilizations as well. Other passages of Scripture also reiterate this same message:

Luke 6:31-36 (NLT)

31 Do to others as you would like them to do to you. ‎32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! ‎33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! ‎34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return. ‎35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. ‎36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

In Matthew 22:40 the Lord points out that “The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments”: Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.”

The Amplified Bible provides this exhortation which is a restatement of Romans 13:8-9:

8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love and seek the best for one another; for he who [unselfishly] loves his neighbor has fulfilled the [essence of the] law [relating to one’s fellowman]. 9 The commandments, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET,” and any other commandment are summed up in this statement: “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”

In reflecting on these verses, we also recognize “The first and great commandment: To love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.” Believers are further instructed to “love your neighbor as yourself.” When we love God, first of all, and then love others to the same degree that we love ourselves, we fulfill the law of love which is the highest expression of God, who is love.

Finally, Galatians 5:14 puts it this way:

For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus Christ, in addressing the multitude gathered to hear him, offers a profound one-sentence statement that embraces all human behavior whereby he expresses God’s desire for all humanity.

Taken from the Sermon on the Mount which begins with Matthew 5, the Beatitudes serve as a prelude to the admonition of Matthew 7:12. This familiar passage is dramatically recited in this video:

A closer look at Matthew 7:12

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” Matthew 7:12 (NLT)

The Verse of the Day for January 19, 2015 comes from the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus Christ expresses a command that has become known as the “Golden Rule.” This guideline for human behavior can be found in some of the writings of ancient civilizations as well. The blog entry for the Verse of the Day posted a year ago identified some of these parallel expressions: Matthew 7:12: The Golden Rule. Other passages of Scripture also reiterate this same message:

Luke 6:31-36 (NLT)

31 Do to others as you would like them to do to you. ‎32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! ‎33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! ‎34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return. ‎35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. ‎36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

In Matthew 22:40 the Lord points out that “The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments”: Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.”

Paul states in Romans 13:8-9 (NLT):

Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.

For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Finally, Galatians 5:14 puts it this way:

For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus Christ, in addressing the multitude gathered to hear him, offers a profound one-sentence statement that embraces all human behavior whereby he expresses God’s desire for all humanity.

The Sermon on the Mount begins with Matthew 5 which offers the Beatitudes which are dramatically recited in this video which is a prelude to the Verse of the Day taken from Matthew 7:12