The Greatest Commandment

 

Jesus teaches in the Temple:

 

Jesus replied

“The most important commandment is this:

Listen, O Israel!

The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.

And you must love the Lord your God

With all your heart, all your soul,

All your mind, and all your strength.”

Mark 12:29-30

While teaching in the Temple the week of Passover, Jesus is confronted with questions by the religious leaders of the day on many occasions. Sometimes the questions are to purposely try to trip Him up or catch Him in heresy—an excuse to arrest and crucify Him. Sometimes they are more innocuously meant to flesh out the basis of Jesus’ religious teaching.

In this instance Jesus is setting forth His orthodox teaching. Jesus quotes known Old Testament dogma beginning with the Shema—the ancient Jewish call to worship—”Listen, O Israel!” He follows that up with the 1^st Commandment as handed down to Moses.

Jesus is pointing out that all righteous worship of God stems from the love that is to be shown to the “One and only Lord”. All other actions flow from there.

What does it mean to love with all heart, soul, mind and strength?

We are instructed to intelligently (mind), affectionately (heart), spiritually (soul), and physically (strength) love God. Jesus will go on to say that by loving God first we will show the same love to our neighbors.

How can we, in our day-to-day lives, keep this, the greatest commandment?

Think before we act. Then act with kindness and unending vigor, no matter the circumstance. Call on the Spirit of God for help and guidance to carry out our mission.

Help our neighbors in good times and bad—a meal for a shut-in or a ride to an appointment. Even a monetary gift directly or to a church program.

Cut someone’s grass or shovel their snow.

When you love God first, worship and adore Him, you will naturally be able to carry out all His other commandments.

Pray:

Dear Father in Heaven, I love you, I love all that you have done for me. Mostly, I love that you have sent your Son to redeem me to you by his sacrificial death on the cross and His resurrection as payment for my sins. In Jesus holy name I pray, Amen.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

 

Jesus returns to Jerusalem:

In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem,

He was hungry, and He noticed a fig tree beside the road.

He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves.

Then He said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!”

And immediately the fig tree withered up.

Matthew 21:18-19

This seems like a drastic response to a barren fig tree don’t you think? Was Jesus showing signs of human stress and frustration?

Or was it something else completely?

If you’ve been following along Jesus’ teachings throughout the Gospels you know there have been many instances where He uses common, daily occurrences as a “teachable moment”.

Remember the time Jesus and the disciples were strolling thru a wheat field on the sabbath, casually snacking on some of the plant tops only to be confronted by the Pharasees for breaking the Law prohibiting harvest on the Sabbath. Jesus teaches that He, the Son of Man, is above the Law of the Sabbath.

Later the same day he heals a man’s deformed hand teaching that even on the Sabbath a person is permitted to do good (Matt 12:1-14).

There are many more, look for them as you read and study the Gospels.

Back to the fig tree, what was the point?

Even the Disciples were perplexed, how did this happen so quickly? Jesus teaches a lesson on faith, of all things. Jesus points out the power of faith saying, “You can pray for anything and if you have faith, you will receive it” (Matt 21:22).

Have you ever experienced Jesus’ hand in a seemingly common occurrence? Maybe you avoided a car accident by mere seconds or received a gift or visit at just the exact moment you needed it.

Have you prayed for something like a successful medical procedure or something as simple as an uneventful airplane flight?

You may have not even recognized it in the moment, but because of your faith, Jesus had a hand in the outcome.

Pray:

Dear Father in heaven, I know that Jesus’ hand is in all that I experience every day. Keep my faith strong and help me to recognize your love and mercy and saving grace daily.

In Jesus glorious name I pray, Amen

 Are You an Underdog?

The story of David & Goliath “David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty…. All those gathered here will know that it is not by the sword or the spear that the Lord saves” 1 Samuel 17:45-47

 It’s September, and for a lot of us that means the start of football season.  We are fans of Pro, College, High School, and for some, even pee wee league team.

 As sure as I’m writing this, at some point in this season you will hear a reference to David & Goliath. 

The big underdog, the smaller or perceived weaker, the team with no chance, will “shock the world” and will win. 

The reference will come from a T.V. or radio announcer, it will be a newspaper or internet headline, or you may hear it in the stands.  It will reference that the winning team somehow dug down deep inside themselves and miraculously overcame impossible odds. 

They will miss the real point of the story reference; unlike in sports, in our daily walk of faith it is only through true faith in the Lord Almighty that we will ultimately prevail against insurmountable odds. 

It is our God who has promised us the victory, and only through Him will we be rewarded.

 So, what is your personal Goliath? 

Is it cancer or some other debilitating disease? 

Is it the loss of a loved one or a job or a good home? 

Is it an unrelenting addiction you just can’t seem to beat? 

Or is it something else? 

At times it seems we are up against not one but a whole team of Goliaths. 

Be like David, call on the name of the Lord for the strength to persevere. 

Remain confident through prayer and faith. 

You Will be rewarded, you Will prevail, you will defeat even the biggest of Goliaths.  And you will truly receive what He has promised – eternal life in heaven free from all Goliaths.

 Let’s pray – Dear Heavenly Father, make me like David, give me the strength to persevere against all my foes.  There are things in my life that I cannot overcome without You, but I am confident in Your promise and believe that through Your Son I will be saved, in His name I pray. Amen.