From the Pastor's Desk . . . .
It All Comes Down to Love
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” ~ Matthew 22:36
Hillel, the great Old Testament religion teacher, once took up a dare. He claimed he could recite all of the wisdom of the law of Moses while standing on one leg. When challenged, he recited, “All the wisdom of the Torah consists in this: ’Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart, and all thy soul, and all thy strength, and thy neighbor as thyself.’”
A similar challenge had been given to Jesus long before Hillel. When asked to name the great commandment of the law, Jesus too used to these quotes from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. As Jesus said, on these two statements— love to God and love to the neighbor —depend the law and the prophets, all of God's revelation.
People today will have no problem with the Word of God —whether the law (the Ten Commandments) or the Gospel promises God spoke through the prophets and apostles— when they love God and their fellow human beings. The entire religion God has revealed to us in Holy Scripture can be summed up in the one word “love.”
Our love to God and to neighbor, however, is not spontaneous, not something that comes naturally. It is God's gift. It is a derivative of God's great love to us as, demonstrated in the giving of His son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. In response to that love, as created in us by the Holy Spirit and bringing us to the saving faith, we love God and all those whom He loves. Then everything falls into place. When we love God, we will gladly do the next thing: Keep His Commandments.
By Pastor Edwards
Watch past Sunday morning Services here - (click this link)
