Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: Matthew 22 and Psalm 22

Jesus was in Jerusalem and the two most powerful Jewish religious parties, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, were trying desperately to discredit Him with the crowds, or to trap Him into saying something that would land Him in hot water with the Roman authorities. His popularity frightened them. So, instead of being interested in the truth, they simply wanted to get rid of Him.

Wonderfully, out of this pressure cooker of religious opposition, one of the most important truths Jesus ever spoke came to light. Trying to trap Him into saying the wrong thing, a teacher of the Law asked Him which was the greatest commandment in the Law:

³⁷ Jesus replied: ‘“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’

This magnificent revelation has become a bedrock of our Christian understanding. Every command of the Old Covenant Law, and every call issued by one of God’s Old Covenant prophets, was either an expression of love for God or of love for our ‘neighbours’. These words of Jesus provide an absolutely reliable and time-honoured standard by which to measure our daily actions and attitudes.

Life Application: As you go through the day today, keep testing yourself against these questions: Does what I am thinking about, and what I am about to say or do, manifest love for God and/or love for others? Does it reveal that I am pursuing the best interests of others and the honour of God? If the answer to either is NO, reconsider that course of action, speech or thought very carefully and ask the Holy Spirit to show you a different way.