Jesus Said These Two Commandments Are Most Important
Matthew 22: 37-40: “Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
Loving your neighbor is mentioned in the bible eight times. Not twice, but EIGHT separate times. It is clearly a message He wants to send forth. Not just a mention, but a commandment. Essentially, a requirement.
It is very common and easy to serve yourself as a human being. It’s in our own best interest to keep ourselves warm, fed, well-rested, and entertained. It’s a natural human desire to make ourselves comfortable.
But without realizing it, self-serving can become automated and will separate us from God. Jesus says in Matthew 25:41-42: “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink.” This verse is very revealing into how God has a STRONG rejecting of those who only serve themselves.
To put it simply, to love someone is to serve them. There are many other things to be said about love and what it means; but what we can understand from Matthew 22: 37-40 is that we know God is the source of love. This is why we must also obey the commandment to love God with all our mind, heart, and soul. We must know Him first to know what true love is.
This love must be then returned to all his creation surrounding us in the form of service.
What are some ways you can show love to your neighbor?
1. Help your neighbor.
Lend a hand to a person in need. This could mean absolutely anything. Donations, helping clean a home, listening, caring for children, etc. There are many ways to lend a hand, and yes, sometimes it is an inconvenience to you in some way. This is the point! Making the sacrifice of serving yourself to serve another is exactly what we need to do more of.
2. Share a meal.
Maybe you know someone who just lost a loved one or your friend is struggling being a new mother. Dropping off meals are a great way to share with someone that you love them and care for their well-being in their times of struggle.
3. Spend time.
Spending quality time with others is a big way to show your love for them. Your full, undivided attention is required here. Set your phone down, and really look at people and talk to them. Not only is this face to face interaction good for them, but in turn you will feel satisfaction as well.
xoxo. D
