Tag: Love your neighbor

A Christian Perspective

The Church is Open

Loring Schultz

Read: Matthew 25:31-46 NLT – The Final Judgment – “But when the – Bible Gateway

“For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.” Matthew 25:35-36 NLT

Photo by Aaron Doucett on Unsplash

The United States just ended the longest government shutdown in its history. There has been a lot of criticism going back and forth as to who is responsible for it. Each side digs in their heels and waits for the opposition to fold which did happen finally opening the government. Most of the services that were shut down only had a slight impact on people with some exceptions. What turned the tide in this shutdown, not counting the elections being over, were two major concerns: air traffic safety and the SNAP (supplemental nutrition assistance program) being paused until after the shutdown. There is not much any of us can do about air traffic safety, but we can all do something about the food supply.

I have often said, ‘if the church does its job, there is no need for government assistance.’ The church is always open, it never closes. What I had found to be the bigger the story was not where 42 million SNAP recipients would get assistance, but why does the richest nation in the world have 42 million people on a food assistance program in the first place. The church can help lower that number and even eliminate it in the future. News reports over the past few weeks have noted the number of churches and faith-based organizations that have stepped up in helping those in need of food assistance. It happens every time. God’s people respond in a time of crisis.

But we should be in a constant mode of stepping up and helping those in need, the very ones Jesus calls ‘the least of these my brothers and sisters.’ We as Christ’s church, individuals, local churches, denominational churches, and the universal church all have the responsibility to care for all those who need assistance of any kind. The government can help supplement it, but it’s not their job. It’s the churches job and responsibility, and we’re always open, not like the government.

Devotionals

The Great Commandment

Loring Schultz

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6: 4-5 ESV

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:18 ESV

Throughout Holy Scripture there are many commandments put before us to be obeyed and followed. Contrary to the belief of some, there are more than ten. They are spread out in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. God, in His Word, has given us detailed instructions on how we should live. He has also given us detailed information about His Son, Jesus, in the both the Old and New Testaments, detailed enough that there should be no question as to who Jesus is. He is the Savoir of each one who puts their trust in Him for Salvation.

Of all the commandments in the Bible, there is only one that is the greatest, The Great Commandment. Jesus, when asked by a clever lawyer of the Pharisees which is the greatest commandment in the Law, quoted from the Old Testament, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.” (Mt.22:37-38 esv) Notice it was not only the “Great” but the “First” commandment. Jesus didn’t stop there but went on to quote more scripture, this time from the Old Testament book of Leviticus. “And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt.22:39 esv) Jesus wraps up His answer by saying, “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Mt.22:40 esv)

The question we all need to honestly ask ourselves is this; do I love the Lord God with all my heart and soul? Being totally honest may hurt as we discover the word “all” means “all.” There should be nothing in our lives that would turn the “all” in our love for God into “most of time, or less.” As we struggle with that question towards God, we will also find ourselves struggling with that question towards our neighbor.

The greatest commandment God has given us is to love Him with all our being and left to ourselves that is impossible to accomplish. But those of us who accepted Christ as Savior have the presence of the Holy Spirit. Let us pray for His help in loving the Lord God with all our heart and with all our soul and our neighbor as ourselves, for this is the great commandment.  

Devotionals

Love Covers Them All

Loring Schultz

“On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:40 ESV

Photo by Emmanuel Phaeton on Unsplash

You may have heard of the ‘Great Commandment.’ You may even be able to quote it. But is it one commandment or two commandments? Jesus, in concluding His answer to the question ‘which is the great commandment in the Law,’ said “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Mt. 22:40 ESV) Sounds like it is two, but they have a common denominator, ‘love.’

A lawyer of the Pharisees, who was an expert in Mosaic Law, asked Jesus a question as so many others to trap Him in His words. The lawyer asked, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” (Mt. 22:36 ESV) The Old Testament Law had the Ten Commandments included in the five books of the Law known as the Torah which also contained additional laws given to Moses for God’s people Israel. At the time Jesus was on the earth in the first century, there were additional laws added to the total of 613 put in place by Rabbis and scholars over the years. Even though most of those were man-made traditions for the Jewish rulers to maintain their positions, Jesus narrowed them all down to two.

In answering the lawyer’s question Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt. 22:37-39 ESV) Jesus carefully put the two-part commandment in divine order. The great and ‘first’ commandment is to love God with all your heart, signifying your whole self, body, soul, and mind. Then likewise, you are to love your neighbor as yourself, not advocating self-love, but in concert with the ‘golden rule’ to love others as you would want them to love you.

Our moral duty as human beings on the earth are to love God and to love our neighbor. Jesus makes is so simple for us to understand and so easy to do if we only take the effort to do so. No need to obey 613 commandments. Two simple commands; love God, love your neighbor. If we truly love God, we will be obedient to all moral conduct. Loving our neighbor, even those who block your driveway, will come naturally as God loves them. This two-part great command is all that is needed, for if obeyed all other laws and commands will be follow suit for ‘Love Covers Them All!’

Read: Matthew 22:34-40 ESV – The Great Commandment – But when the – Bible Gateway