Lenten Devotional
Sorry of for missing some days, but the weather, study leave and all good things of God's creation pulled me away from the computer. I am learning a devotional like this is harder to put together day by day than I anticipated. I covet your prayers as I pray for all who read. In these chapters we have some more parables and teaching on the end times, but I feel that the center is held by Jesus' teaching on the greatest commandment.
Again, Jesus is being trapped by the religious elite of His time with the question of what is the greatest commandment. Now, Jesus answers with the general teaching that all great rabbis and teachers have given,
‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12: 29-30).
The first part of this response is from Deuteronomy 6:4-5. This passage called the shema. It is the central teaching of all the law as Jesus proclaims. All people we to memorize this text and it was part of the worship for Jewish people. Jesus does not end with this proclamation. He gives a second that is just as important.
Jesus proclaims it is just as important to love your neighbor as yourself. Between these two commandants is the fullness of the law and the prophets. This is the twist that is true in all of the Old Testament, but never seems to come out in the teaching by the elders. If we demonstrate our love for others, we are demonstrating our love and devotion to God. The opposite is true also. In demonstrating our love of God, we demonstrate love of others.
The religious leaders of Jesus time were getting caught in the law of making sure all the rules were followed to the neglect of other people. THis is true many times today. We want to make ourselves look great in the eyes of others even if it pushes other people away. When we start looking at others as people in need of our compassion and deserving of God's love and forgiveness as much as us, the world turns upside down. Jesus was very good at turning things upside down.
We are left with the same challenge today as they were, love God and love your neighbor. What are some ways we can demonstrate love to others in tangible meaningful ways?
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