Matthew 22:36-40   Words of Jesus written in red.

 

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 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.'  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

 

 

 

 

 

As Jesus ate with the Pharisees, we find in this passage of scripture not only were they curious as to what Jesus was going to say, they were testing Him.  It was as though they were trying to catch Him saying something wrong.  Loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind is the first and greatest commandment of them all.  Once you submit your everything to Him, everything else will fall into place God is love. So how 

can you love God whom you haven’t seen and then turn around?

and say I don't like so and so.  It. doesn't work like that.  The Bible says love your neighbor

as yourself   Your have to show genuine love for one another. You can't go and talk and be friendly with one person and then

go behind that person's back and talk about them to someone else. 

God is looking for that unselfish love.  The king of love that shows in someone's inward appearance.  The kind that will make people come up to you and say, “I don't know what it is, but there is just something about you.  I just had to come and speak to you."  Don't you know that is God working through you without using words?  He is showing himself through you. Just by you smiling or walking in confidence.  We need that genuine love for one another.  The type of love that even though someone has done you wrong, you can still forgive them and show them kindness.

 

John 13:34, 35

 

"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."

 

 

Jesus told his disciples that after He returned to the Father, He still wanted them to show love for one another.  It was a way of showing people that these were His followers and even after His death they were still practicing His teachings.  Sometimes you have to let your light so shine before your fellow man.  Your good deed is another example of showing love.  Be genuine toward each other.  God showed His love by sending His only son to earth to save us all from sin, and sometimes we can't even hug someone because “we don't like them."  Time is out for stuff like that.  God's love is pure and genuine.  He loves us in spite of the fact we mess up time and time again.  We all are not perfect.  We all fall short.  Jesus says to love one another as He had loved us.  You can't get a better gift than that.

 

 

Luke 6:35

 

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

 

 

Yeah, we have to love our enemies, too.  That is one of the hardest things we as Christians have to do nowadays.  God knows it's hard for us to love our enemies, but it's something we must do.  Jesus did it.  In Luke 23:34, it says, "Then Jesus said, ' Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."  He asked his Father to forgive the very men that crucified Him.  That's really loving your enemies.  When you can look into the very face of the people who mocked you, whipped you, hung you on a cross, and ask God to forgive them.  That is so awesome, people.  That is the kind of love I want. Love the people who don't like you.  Be kind to everyone.  Show respect to all people.  In other words, treat people the way you would want to be treated.

 

 

Let us pray:

 

Lord,

 

I thank you for showing me genuine love.  Thank you for being God because in my heart, I know you are love.  Lord, bless the people reading this word that you have sent to me to share with them.  I don't know what they stand in need of but you do and I ask that you grant whatever they ask you for.  Father, I pray that you give them the love you gave your Son Jesus when he was being crucified.  In Jesus Name,

 

Amen