Jesus
was asked what was the most important of the commandments. He
answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and Love
your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27).” He said that this was the
heart of the commandments; the key to obeying God. The Apostle Paul
said that when we practice love we
need not worry about commandment breaking (Romans 13:8-9).
This
teaching is so important that Jesus chose to speak on it during his
last hours of freedom. He told the Apostles, “A new command I give
you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one
another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples,
if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
Although
Jesus said that love would be the way His followers would distinguish
themselves, the opposite is often true. We hear about church and
denominational splits, feuding among members within a congregation,
pastors badmouthing other ministries, sexual abuse and more. Some
church leaders speak such hateful words that they make a mockery of
our faith and our Lord.
Jesus
modeled how we should love. His was a humble love that washed the
apostles feet. It was a compassionate love that touched lepers,
healed the sick and raised the dead. It was a love that reached out
to outcasts like Zacchaeus and the Samaritan woman. It was a
sacrificial love that went to the cross so we might be freed from the
shame and bondage of our sin.
The
Bible teaches us that we are to love our brother, our neighbor
and,even, our enemies.
No
one has ever seen God; but if we love one another,
God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
1
John 4:12
1 comment:
Yes, loving our enemies is the hardest thing to do. I try so hard to remember that commandment. It is always so easy to love those who love you but loving as Christ loved is what we need to learn to do daily. I was moved by this message on Sunday. Thank you.
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