Bible Reading: Matthew 22:34-40
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40
IF YOUR LIFE were a television show, what would it be like? Friends? Baywatch? My So-Called Life? The Brady Bunch? Or maybe 3rd Rock from the Sun?
If your life had a theme song, what would it be titled? Maybe something like “Insensitive”? Or “Jealousy”? Or maybe “The Great Adventure”? How about “I Get By with a Little Help from My Friends”? Or “Nobody Loves Me But My Mother (and She Could Be Jivin’ Too)”?
If your life were a cable TV channel, would it be more like the Disney Channel, MTV, the Sports Channel, the Comedy Channel, or the boring Documentary Channel?
While it may be fun to come up with answers to those questions, the answers are probably not particularly revealing. But you know what? If Jesus’ life were a television show, it could have only one title-Love. If a hit song were written about his life, it would be called “Love.” In fact, if his life were a tennis game, every point would be love.
Jesus commanded us to love. He said,
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 (John 13:34-35, NIV).
Jesus commanded us to love because he values love. The single greatest characteristic of Jesus’ life, his most important theme, the center of everything he did and said, was love. He left heaven because of love. He became a man because of love. He went around doing good because of love. He even died—and was resurrected—because of love.
Jesus’ words and life made it clear that love is always right. It is right for all people, for all places, and for all times. It is right not only because he commands love and values love, but also because he ultimately is love. Love is a part of his nature and character as God (1 John 4:8, 16). When we love others, even our enemies, we are “acting as true children of [our] Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:45).
REFLECT: The paragraphs above refer to the three “steps” in discerning right from wrong (precept, principle, Person). Look back over today’s reading and identify the precept, the principle, and the person.
ACT: The next time you hear a television theme song, remember the theme of Jesus’ life: love.
PRAY:”Father, I want to love you as your Son, Jesus, has commanded me to do. I want to love the people around me, too. This week help me to show love to_______________________.”
