You know exactly where we will be because that's where we were last week.
We're here in Matthew chapter 22, verses 34 to 46.
In your word, reveal to us your love for us.
And you call us to love you with all our heart, soul, and mind.
And Lord, who is worthy of such things?
Who is?
Who can obey such a grand command?
And yet, because you have commanded us in your word,
and because you, by your Spirit, enable us to do what you command us,
we come with faith to this passage,
that you might teach us what it means to love you,
and that you might enable us to love you as you deserve.
So meet with us, Father.
Give us ears to hear,
hearts that are ready to receive.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
Please stand if you are able,
so that we can honor God as we read from his word.
Matthew chapter 22, 34 to 46.
But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together.
And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.
Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?
And he said to him,
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.
On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.
Now, while the Pharisees were gathered together,
Jesus asked them a question, saying,
What do you think about the Christ?
Whose son is he?
They said to him,
The son of David.
He said to them,
How is it then that David, in the spirit,
calls him Lord, saying,
The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies under your feet.
If then David calls him Lord,
how is he his son?
And no one was able to answer him a word.
Nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him
any more questions.
This is God's holy and authoritative word.
Please be seated.
What is the greatest of all Christian virtues?
It's love.
If I can speak in the tongues of men and of angels,
but have not love,
I'm a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have prophetic powers,
if I have all knowledge,
I can understand all mysteries,
and yet have not love,
I'm nothing.
If I have faith so as to remove mountains,
if I give up my body to be burned,
if I die as a martyr for him,
and yet have not love,
I gain nothing.
Love is the greatest of all Christian virtues.
What is the greatest of all commandments in Christianity?
That too is love.
Jesus says here,
you shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind.
This is the great and first commandment.
And a second is like it,
you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Why is love so central to Christianity?
Because anyone who does not love
does not know God.
Because God is love.
1 John 4.8
Everything we do or don't do,
all our obedience or disobedience
boils down to the love of God
or the lack thereof.
Yes, of course,
there are other factors to consider,
but at the heart of it,
the foundational motivation
is love.
Jesus made that very clear in John 14
when he said,
if you love me,
you will keep my commandments.
Whoever does not love God
does not keep his words.
In his book,
The Confessions,
Augustine,
who was a 4th century African theologian
and pastor,
observed,
made this observation
that everything moves
according to their weight.
By weight,
he really meant density,
but he says smoke,
fire and smoke coming up from it
goes upward
because of its weight.
A stone drops,
sinks to the ground
because of its weight.
And he asked the question,
what determines
how humans behave,
whether we go upward
toward God in heaven
or downward toward death
and hell?
He concludes,
my weight is my love.
Wherever I am carried,
my love is carrying me.
He's following Jesus' teaching.
This is an all-important principle,
and I think that's why
Jesus calls it
the great and first commandment.
The commandment is first
not only in its primacy,
in its greatest importance,
but also in its priority,
in the order.
It's the command
that precedes all the others
and obeying this first command
enables you to obey
all the others.
And my main point this morning
is this,
love the Lord
with your whole self
and love your neighbor
as yourself.
And I'm going to break this down
into two main points.
First, love the Lord,
and secondly,
that Jesus is Lord.
The Pharisees have heard
that Jesus has silenced
the Sadducees,
their political rivals,
and so now they gather together.
Before they had sent
their disciples,
they failed to trap Jesus
and embarrass Jesus.
The Sadducees then came
and tried their hand,
and then they also failed.
Now the Pharisees themselves come,
and they send
one of their representatives,
a lawyer.
He says in verse 35,
comes to ask a question,
to test Jesus.
The parallel passage
in Mark 12
suggests that this lawyer
actually had a sincere motivation.
He really wanted to know
what Jesus thought,
and he really respected
Jesus' opinion.
However,
as a representative
of the Pharisees collectively
who have gathered
to plot against Jesus,
to entrap Jesus in his words,
this question still amounts
to a test for him.
This is the only time
the Gospel of Matthew
identifies someone
as a lawyer.
It refers to a Jewish scribe
whose job it is
to transcribe the Jewish law,
the Torah,
to transcribe it,
to teach it,
to spread it.
And so by calling him
a lawyer,
I think Matthew
is pointing out
that this is a recognized
expert of the Old Testament law.
The law is his bread and butter,
his area of expertise.
And this question
is about that law,
teacher,
which is the great commandment
in the law?
Following rabbinic calculation,
Jews held that the Torah
had a grand total
of 613 commandments,
the first five books of the Bible,
613 commandments.
248 prescriptions,
things we must do,
and 365 prohibitions,
things we must not do.
And Jewish rabbis
often discussed among themselves
which laws are the heavy laws
and which laws are the light laws.
Even Jesus says later
in chapter 23,
verse 23,
that some matters of the law,
some matters of the law
are weightier
than other matters of the law.
But this question
about the great commandment
in the law
is not merely about
which command
is the most important
of the 613,
but also about
which commandment
encapsulates,
sums up,
the entire law
most accurately
and comprehensively.
What is the crux
of the law?
What is the heart
of the law?
That's the question.
And we know
from historical examples
that this was a question
that was often debated
by Jesus' contemporaries,
and this serves as a test
because there was
a lingering suspicion
among the Jews
that Jesus flouted
the Mosaic law,
that he disregarded it.
And that's what he had
to tell them
in chapter 5,
verses 17 to 20,
I have not come
to abolish the law
but to fulfill them.
And so they're asking
Jesus this question,
do you really uphold
the law of God,
the law of Moses?
If so,
what is the great law?
This is also,
you know,
something that's easy
to quibble about.
No matter what Jesus says,
they can say,
well,
you said that's
the great law
but what about this one?
What about that one?
Because people,
based on their temperaments
and tendencies,
often emphasize
different
and give precedence
to different commands
in scripture.
So it's really hard
to answer this question
in a way
that satisfies everybody.
It's bound
to alienate someone.
So that's their test.
But somehow,
Jesus finds an answer
that silences them all.
He says in verses 37 to 38,
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.
This commandment
is taken from
Deuteronomy 6,
verses 4 to 6.
Hear, O Israel,
the Lord our God,
the Lord is one.
You shall love
the Lord your God
with all your heart
and all your soul
and all your strength.
And these words
that I command you
today are to be
on your heart.
This is what Jews
refer to as the Shema.
Shema is just
the Hebrew verb,
the first word
of that passage,
hear.
Hear, O Israel.
From Jesus' day
until today,
pious Jews
recite the Shema
twice a day.
Jews include
a parchment
that contains
the Shema
in their phylactery,
which is like
a leather box
that they wear
on their forehead,
on their arm
when they're praying.
This is
the Bible verse
that every Jew
memorizes.
This is the one
that they cling to.
Jesus picks
the most familiar
verse,
but in the parallel
passage in Mark 12,
29,
so in this passage
in Matthew,
we don't see
the first part
of the Shema,
hear, O Israel,
the Lord our God,
the Lord is one,
but in the parallel
passage in Mark 12,
29,
Jesus actually includes
that part
in his response
because the declaration
of the Lord
as one,
the Lord is one,
is integral
to this great
commandment.
Precisely because
the Lord is one,
there is only one
Lord, Yahweh,
and there is no
other God
beside him,
we owe him
our singular,
undivided allegiance.
If we served
many lords,
then we would have
to give each of them
parts of our hearts,
parts of our time,
parts of our money,
but because the Lord
is one,
we must love the Lord
with all our heart.
The singularity
and unity
of the Lord
demands our singular
and undivided devotion,
but what does it mean
to love God?
Loving God
with all our heart,
soul,
and mind
entails two primary things.
First is allegiance,
second is affection.
The first aspect
of loving God
is our allegiance
to him.
Remember the original
context of Deuteronomy 6,
the Lord is one,
so love him
with all your heart
and keep his commandments
on your heart.
Loving God
is about obedience
to his commands,
it's about undivided
loyalty to him.
The first and great command
summarizes
the first half
of the Decalogue,
the first four commandments
of the Ten Commandments.
You shall have
no other gods before me,
you shall not make
an idol or image
and bow down before it,
you shall not misuse
the name of the Lord
your God,
and you shall not
violate the Sabbath
of the Lord your God,
you shall keep the Sabbath
of the Lord your God.
The first half
of the Decalogue
all deal with
what it looks like
to love God.
And this is a summary
of that.
Will you be loyal
to him alone?
Serve him alone?
We can see this meaning
clearly in what Jesus
said earlier
in Matthew 6,
verse 24,
no one can serve
two masters,
for either he will
hate the one
and love the other,
or he will be devoted
to the one
and despise the other.
You cannot serve
both God and money.
Notice here,
the words hate
and despise
are parallel
to each other,
and the words love
and devoted
are parallel
to each other.
To love God,
then,
is to be devoted
to him.
It means to cling
to God,
hold fast
to God,
to be committed
to God
to the exclusion
of all others.
It means we don't
try to straddle
two worlds,
one foot
in the kingdom
of heaven
and one foot
on the kingdom
of this earth,
kingdom of this world.
Rather,
it means we jump
both feet
into the kingdom
of God
and where God is
and what God
commends us.
As Revelation 18,
verse 4 says,
come out of her,
my people,
lest you take part
in her sins.
How can a servant
faithfully serve
two masters
when those two
masters' interests
are not aligned?
God,
it's impossible.
A servant
who serves
two masters
is called
a traitor.
Likewise,
how can a bride
have two husbands
or two lovers?
A bride
who has two lovers
is an adulterer.
Our God
is a jealous lover
and he will not
share his beloved
with another.
Are you devoted
to God
or are you divided
and distracted?
What in your life
competes with God
for your
supreme attention
and allegiance?
Do you want
to serve God
and be
successful
and rich
and make a name
for yourself?
Do you fear
God
and you fear
your boss
and fear
your spouse
and you fear
your peers
and fear
all your
social media
followers
and you try
to please them
as much as
you try to
please God?
Do you pursue
God
and the lusts
of this world?
Shall we provoke
the Lord
to jealousy?
Are we stronger
than he?
If you are
living in direct
disobedience
to the commandments
of God
if you are
in unrepentant
sin
do not
be deceived
into thinking
that you love
God.
Loving God
is about much
more than
a warm
fuzzy feeling
that you have
when singing
moving worship
songs on a Sunday
morning.
It's about
your allegiance
to God.
your obedience
to God.
What good
is it
if we sing
on Sunday
morning
God I belong
to you
you are all
I need
you are all
I want
but Monday
to Saturday
we live
as if we
belong to
anyone
but God
as if we
need anything
but God.
1 John
5
3
says
this is
the love
of God
that we
keep
his
commandments
and his
commandments
are not
burdensome.
Are you
devoted
or divided?
If you are
divided
then you are
not loving
God
as you ought
to
you are
disobeying
the great
and first
commandment.
Well then
is loving
God
only about
obedience?
Can we say
that a person
who
quote unquote
obeys God
in a legalistic
and perfunctory
manner
as someone
who truly
loves God?
No we
can't say
that.
God chose
the word
love
deliberately.
Love
involves
allegiance
yes
but it
also
involves
affection.
Love
is the
intimate
term
that
frequently
describes
in scripture
the relationship
between a
husband and
a wife
as well
as the
relationship
between
parents
and their
children.
Yes
those
relationships
parental
relationships
spousal
relationship
they come
with
responsibilities
and
obligations
but if
those
relationships
are only
characterized
by responsibilities
and obligations
duty
without desire
or delight
then those
relationships
are profoundly
dysfunctional
is it not?
my
wedding
anniversary
is coming
up
imagine
if my
wedding
anniversary
came
and I
got
Hannah
flowers
and cooked
a nice
dinner
for her
at home
but I
did all
of those
things
while dragging
my feet
and looking
really unhappy
and grumpy
as if it
were a
tiresome
chore
and then
Hannah
thanks me
thanks Sean
and I go
oh
nothing
it's my
duty
I mean
would she
feel so
loved
the greatest
commandment
is not
simply
you shall
obey
the Lord
your God
it's not
you shall
submit
to the Lord
your God
although it
includes
both of those
things
it's
you shall
love
the Lord
your God
God
wants us
to desire
him
delight
in him
rejoice
in him
he wants
us to
worship
him
as Jerry
Bridges
writes in
his book
The Discipline
of Grace
only conduct
that arises
from love
is worthy
of the name
of obedience
but does
this mean
we should
only obey
God
when we
actually
want to
obey him
what about
when we
don't want
to obey
some of
his
commands
should we
just not
do it
because it
would be
fake
hypocritical
of course
if someone
were to
obey
God
purely
for
self-serving
reasons
out of
fear of
punishment
or to
save face
or impress
others
with no
desire
whatsoever
to actually
please
God
himself
well then
yeah
that would
be
displeasing
to God
the sacrifice
of the
wicked
is an
abomination
to the
Lord
he says
in
Proverbs
15
8
for
whatever
does
not
proceed
from
faith
is
sin
and
without
faith
it
is
impossible
to
please
God
however
all
genuine
believers
delight
in
God
and
have
a
desire
to
please
God
that
underlies
even
all
their
acts
of
duty
sometimes
the
gap
between
what
we
know
we
ought
to
do
and
what
we
want
to
do
the
gap
between
those
two
things
simply
stemmed
from
the
fact
that
obedience
entails
great
loss
and
suffering
and
hardship
even
Jesus
felt
this
at the
garden
of
Gethsemane
when
he
prayed
not
my
will
but
yours
be
done
when
he
prayed
to
God
the
father
at
one
level
Jesus
didn't
want
to
be
separated
from
the
father
in
that
way
he
didn't
want
to
suffer
and
die
on
the
cross
and
bear
the
crushing
weight
of
sin
and
divine
judgment
he
said
remove
this
cup
from
me
but
at
another
level
at
a
deeper
level
Jesus
wanted
nothing
but
to
obey
his
father
so
nevertheless
not
my
will
but
yours
be
done
and
for
the
joy
that
was
set
before
him
he
endured
the
cross
likewise
when we
feel
reluctant
because
obedience
to
God
sometimes
it
does
involve
!
great
pain
and
great
loss
great
sacrifice
great
suffering
and
because
we
are
human
and
because
we
are
weak
by
our
nature
we
struggle
with
that
obedience
but
yet
we
obey
anyway
because
underneath
that
sense
of
duty
there
is
a
still
deeper
desire
to
love
God
and
obey
him
but
our
circumstances
are of
course
not
always
as
clear
cut
and
dire
as
Jesus
is
it's
rarely
purely
because
of
our
natural
human
weakness
which
was
the
case
for
Jesus
more
often
than
not
for
us
the
gap
between
what
we
know
we
ought
to
do
and
what
we
want
to
do
exists
because
of
our
own
sinfulness
does it
not
because
we
desire
sin
more
than
we
desire
God
and
in
those
situations
yes
we
still
must
obey
!
anyway
but
repent
of
our
sinful
desires
and
as
we
take
that
step
of
faith
and
obedience
God
sanctifies
us
further
so that
we
want
to
obey
him
in
all
those
things
more
and
more
God
I
know
I
should
want
to
obey
you
this
way
but
my
stubborn
heart
refuses
to
comply
Forgive
me
for
this
resistance
and
enable
me
compel
me
to
desire
what
you
decree
there's
a
beautiful
18th
century
hymn
by
Joseph
Hart
that
expresses
this
sentiment
it's
called
Oh
for
a
glance
of
heavenly
I
think
I
have
it
to
project
for
you
Oh
for
a
glance
of
heavenly
day
to
take
this
stubborn
heart
away
and
thaw
with
beams
of
love
divine
this
heart
this
frozen
heart
of
mine
the
rocks
can
rend
the
earth
can
quake
the
seas
can
roar
the
mountains
shake
of
feeling
all
things
show
some
side
but
this
unfeeling
heart
of
mine
to
hear
the
sorrows
thou
hast
felt
oh
Lord
an
adamant
might
melt
but
I
can
read
each
moving
line
and
nothing
moves
this
heart
of
mine
thy
judgments
!
devil's
fear
amazing
thought
unmoved
I
hear
goodness
and
wrath
in
vain
combine
to
stir
this
stupid
heart
of
mine
eternal
spirit
mighty
God
apply
to
me
the
Savior's
blood
tis
his
rich
blood
and
his
alone
can
move
and
melt
this
heart
of
stone
even
upon
your
failure
to
desire
the
things
of
God
even
upon
your
very
coldness
of
heart
toward
the
things
of
God
apply
the
blood
of
Jesus
Christ
and
receive
his
mercy
for
that's
where
the
power
lies
that
can
melt
your
heart
unto
obedience
for
that's
the
kind
of
obedience
from
the
heart
that
God
desires
Jesus
says
you
shall
love
the
Lord
your
God
with
all
your
heart
the
heart
is
the
inner
center
of
a
person
so
Jesus
says
in
Matthew
6
21
for
where
your
treasure
is
there
your
heart
will
be
also
whatever
we
treasure
within
our
hearts
that
will
determine
the
course
the
direction
of
our
lives
out
of
the
abundance
of
the
heart
the
mouth
speaks
out
of
the
heart
comes
evil
thoughts
murder
adultery
sexual
immorality
theft
false
witness
slander
what's
in
our
hearts
always
comes
out
in
our
words
and
in
our
deeds
the
heart
is
the
core
of
the
inner
person
when
we
speak
of
the
heart
in
English
we
primarily
speak
of
the
emotions
the
seed
of
our
emotions
and
feelings
it
includes
that
but
that's
not
the
whole
picture
it
does
include
our
feelings
Deuteronomy
28
47
says
we
have
to
serve
the
Lord
our
God
with
joyfulness
and
gladness
of
heart
the
heart
is
where
you
feel
joy
and
gladness
toward
the
Lord
but
the
heart
also
includes
more
than
our
feelings
the
heart
in
the
Bible
is
the
seat
of
our
thoughts
and
intentions
Deuteronomy
15
9
to
10
warns
of
an
unworthy
thought
in
the
heart
so
the
heart
thinks
similarly
Hebrews
4
12
says
that
God
the
word
of
God
discerns
the
thoughts
and
intentions
of
the
heart
and
earlier
in
Matthew
9
4
Jesus
said
to
the
scribes
why
do
you
think
evil
in
your
heart
the
heart
thinks
this
is
why
the
heart
and
the
mind
are
often
used
interchangeably
in
scripture
in
1 Corinthians
12
38
acting
with
a
whole
heart
is
the
same
thing
as
acting
with
a
single
mind
God
wants
us
to
love
him
with
all
our
heart
and
all
our
mind
remember
earlier
when
Jesus
cited
Isaiah
29
13
in
Matthew
chapter
15
verses
7
to
9
this
people
he
says
this
people
honors
me
with
their
lips
but
their
hearts
are
far
from
me
God
is
not
looking
for
lip
service
God
is
not
looking
for
half
hearted
obedience
God
is
not
merely
looking
for
outward
conformity
he's
looking
for
inward
transformation
God
doesn't
only
care
that
we
not
commit
murder
he
cares
that
we
don't
commit
murder
in
our
hearts
by
harboring
resentment
and sinful
anger
and hatred
toward
people
and
unforgiveness
toward
people
God
does
not
only
care
that
we
not
commit
adultery
physically
he cares
that
we do
not
commit
adultery
of the
heart
by
lusting
after
people
why
does
God
care
what
happens
in the
secrets
of our
!
hearts
because
God
is not
merely
concerned
with
what
you
do
he
cares
about
you
he
wants
you
he
wants
your
heart
he
wants
your
mind
he
wants
you
to
love
him
with
all
your
heart
and
soul
and
mind
the
word
soul
gets
at
the
same
idea
the
Greek
word
translated
soul
here
is
most
often
translated
in the
Bible
as
life
because
the
soul
is
life
once
the
soul
departs
you're
dead
Jesus
says
in
Matthew
16
24
26
if
anyone
would
come
after
me
let
him
deny
himself
and
take
up
his
cross
and
follow
me
for
whoever
would
save
his
life
that's
the
same
word
save
his
life
will
lose
it
but
whoever
loses
his
life
for
my
sake
will
find
it
for
what
will
it
profit
a
man
if
he
gains
the
whole
world
and
forfeits
his
soul
same
word
or
what
shall
a
man
give
in
return
for
his
soul
in
other
words
God
wants
us
to
love
him
with
our
whole
lives
he
wants
us
to
surrender
our
very
life
to
him
our
very
soul
to
him
the
word
soul
or
spirit
is
also
often
used
interchangeably
with
heart
proverbs
24
12
it
says
that
God
weighs
the
heart
the
heart
of
man
he
weighs
the
heart
of
man
and
keeps
watch
over
his
soul
synonymous
over
and over
again
we see
the words
heart
and soul
used
together
as a
hand
dietus
using
referring
to a
single
concept
heart
and soul
love
the
Lord
your
God
I'm
with
you
heart
and
soul
it's
not
referring
to
heart
and
soul
separately
it's
saying
that
together
the
inner
person
I'm
with
you
the
original
command
in
Deuteronomy
6
if
you're
sharp
by
maybe
you
caught
that
didn't
have
mind
it
has
strength
instead
and
then
if
you
look
at
the
parallel
passages
in
Mark
12
and
Luke
10
they
include
both
strength
and
mind
but
it
doesn't
really
matter
because
they're
all
saying
the
exact
same
thing
the
emphasis
of
this
command
is
not
on
the
variety
of
human
faculties
that
you
ought
to
love
God
with
but
on
the
totality
of
human
faculties
that
you
ought
to
love
God
with
there's
nothing
omitted
in
this
command
all
that
we
have
all
that
we
are
must
be
directed
toward
the love
of
God
to
love
the
Lord
your
God
with
your
whole
self
but
Jesus
isn't
done
he
says
that
there
is
a
second
great
commandment
in
verse
39
and
a
second
is
like
it
you
shall
love
your
neighbor
as
yourself
it's
a
quotation
from
Leviticus
19
18
which
summarizes
the
second
half
of the
ten
commandments
the
last
six
earlier
in
Matthew
19
18
to
20
when
Jesus
was
having
this
dialogue
with
the
rich
young
man
he
was
asking
him
what's
in
the
law
what should
I
keep
he
told
him
to
he
listed
off
the
second
half
the
last
six
of the
ten
commandments
and then
Jesus
summarized
it by
saying
you shall
love
your
neighbor
as
yourself
love
of
neighbor
sums
up
all
of
this
law
all
of
these
laws
in
Romans
13
9
to
10
for
the
commandments
are
summed
up
in
this
word
you
shall
love
your
neighbor
as
yourself
love
does
no
wrong
to
a
neighbor
therefore
love
is
the
fulfilling
of
the
law
if
you
love
someone
and
always
consistently
act
out
of
that
love
for
that
person
and
you
have
the
love
of
God
so
you
know
what
it
means
to
love
someone
truly
then
you
will
never
do
wrong
to
that
person
okay
but
the
lawyer
asked
about
the
great
commandment
in the
singular
why
is
Jesus
giving
him
two
commands
because
the
second
commandment
is an
extension
of the
first
commandment
and
flows
naturally
and
unavoidably
from
it
they
are
distinct
commands
but
they
are
inseparable
this
applies
I
think
to
love
our
neighbor
as
ourselves
first
and
foremost
I
think
it
applies
to
our
fellow
church
members
to
our
brothers
and
sisters
in
Christ
why
because
we
are
commanded
in
Galatians
6
10
so
then
as
we
have
opportunity
let
us
do
good
to
everyone
and
especially
to
those
who
are
of
the
household
of
faith
in
fact
1
John
in
the
church
the
evidence
and
proof
that
we
have
passed
from
death
to
life
that
we
are
spiritually
alive
in
Christ
1
John
4
20
to
21
says
this
if
anyone
says
I
love
God
and
hates
his
brother
he
is
a
liar
for
he
who
does
not
love
his
brother
whom
he
has
seen
cannot
love
God
whom
he
has
not
seen
and
this
commandment
we
have
from
him
whoever
loves
God
must
also
love
his
brother
we
are
all
fellow
members
of
the
body
of
Christ
how
can
we
claim
to
love
Jesus
who
is
the
head
of
the
body
and
yet
say
that
we
hate
a
brother
or
sister
in
Christ
who
is
part
of
that
same
body
how
can
we
claim
to
love
Jesus
the
bridegroom
of
the
church
and
yet
say
that
we
hate
his
bride
the
people
in
his
church
how
do
we
meet
a
fellow
sinner
saved
by
God's
grace
someone
who
has
been
covered
by
the
blood
of
the
lamb
like
we
have
someone
who
knows
the
sweetness
of
God's
mercy
who
have
tasted
and
seen
that
God
is
good
and
not
well
up
with
love
for
that
person
oh
here's
my
brother
here's
my
brother
who
knows
the
truth
that
it's
the
rock
of
my
life
and
my
foundation
here's
my
sister
who
shares
my
deepest
and
dearest
hope
here
is
one
who
has
the
same
spirit
of
God
as
I
how
do
you
not
love
that
person
that's
one
level
but
the
love
of
neighbor
goes
beyond
that
in
Luke
10
after
giving
this
command
Jesus
answers
the
question
and
who
is
my
neighbor
good
question
right
Jesus
answers
the
questions
by telling
the
parable
of
the
good
Samaritan
and
his
answer
to
summarize
it
is
this
don't
worry
about
defining
and
delimiting
who
your
neighbor
is
that
one's
my
neighbor
that
one's
not
my
neighbor
so
I
don't
have
to
worry
about
this
command
with
him
no
he says
instead
focus
on being
a
neighbor
to
whomever
you
come
across
anyone
that
you
cross
paths
with
whom
you
can
help
or serve
or love
in some
way
shape
or form
that's
your
neighbor
your
neighbor
your
relative
or your
family
member
or your
fellow
countrymen
or someone
who shares
your race
or ethnicity
or someone
who shares
your political
or theological
opinions
not someone
who looks
like you
or talks
like you
or speaks
the same
language
as you
not only
people
who live
as you
would
but anyone
that you
come into
contact
with
whose
need you
can meet
how can
we claim
to love
God
and yet
not love
the very
people
who are
created
in the
image
of God
in fact
this love
of neighbor
even includes
loving our
enemy
Jesus said
this explicitly
earlier in
chapter 5
verse 43
to 48
love your
enemies
and pray
for those
who persecute
you
so that
you may
be sons
of your
father
who is
in heaven
for he
makes
the sun
rise
on the
evil
and the
good
and sends
rain
on the
just
and the
unjust
God
takes care
of evil
people
and the
unjust
people
in this
world
by making
his
sun
to shine
on them
and sending
rain
when they
need it
when God
who is
perfectly
holy
and therefore
has every
justification
to crush
those
evildoers
and show
them
no grace
and mercy
and yet
he shows
them such
grace
and mercy
in caring
for them
and providing
for them
will we
imperfect
sinners
that we
are
do less
than God
in loving
our enemies
by linking
these two
great
commandments
Jesus
steers
clear of
mysticism
on the
one hand
mysticism
results
in a
detached
and
disembodied
love of
God
it's
the love
of God
that flees
from fellowship
with man
and love
of man
he steers
clear of
that
but he
also steers
clear on
the other
hand
of humanism
humanism
seeks to
define
what good
is
apart
from God
and seeks
to do
good
toward
humanity
apart
from
God
people
who claim
to love
God
but want
nothing
to do
with
people
or people
who seem
zealous
for God
but seem
increasingly
prideful
and hateful
toward people
are gravely
mistaken
they do not
truly love
God
similarly
people who
claim to
love other
people
but want
nothing
to do
with God
do not
truly know
how to
love people
who are
made in
the image
of God
because they
do not
know
true
righteousness
they do
not know
what true
justice
looks like
and they're
ignorant
of humanity's
deepest
direst
need
namely
to know
God
let's go
a little bit
deeper
into this
specific
command
you shall
love your
neighbor
as
yourself
we ought
to love
God
with our
whole
selves
but love
our
neighbors
as
ourselves
we're
not
supposed
to love
our
neighbors
the same
way
we love
God
we do
not owe
other
people
the same
kind
of
allegiance
that we
owe
to God
rather
we ought
to love
other
people
the way
we love
ourselves
Philippians 2
3-4
teaches us
that we
have
as humans
a sinful
tendency
to be
selfish
and conceited
and to look
out for our
own interests
but God
commands us
in humility
count others
more significant
than yourself
to look
out for
others
interests
not just
your own
this
is a
call
to love
your
neighbor
as
yourself
it's
a
command
to
self
effacing
self
giving
sacrificial
love
remember
this is a
summary of
the second
half
of the
Ten
Commandments
you shall
not
murder
if we
only think
of ourselves
and of
how much
we hate
this person
how angry
we are
at this
person
then we'll
murder
but if
you think
about
the other
person's
interest
then we
don't
you shall
not commit
adultery
if we only
think of
ourselves
and the
pleasure
that we
want
and we
only
we're only
interested
in satisfying
our own
lust
then you'll
commit
adultery
but if
you love
your neighbor
as yourself
and you
consider
the other
person's
interest
then you'll
be wrecking
that person's
marriage
family
at home
then we
don't
you shall
not steal
if you
think only
of yourself
and the
thing that
you really
really want
then you'll
steal
but if
you consider
that the
other person
also really
really wants
that same
thing
then you'll
leave it
alone
to love
your neighbor
as yourself
is to
seek
sacrificially
the good
of the
other
person
sometimes
people twist
the second
great
commandment
and say
something
like this
you shall
love your
neighbor
as yourself
means
that we
must love
ourselves
because
we cannot
love our
neighbor as
ourselves
if we don't
love ourselves
in the first
place
so we
gotta love
ourselves
first
that's
the first
order of
business
learn to
love
yourself
love
yourself
God
commands
it
but that
completely
violates
the spirit
of this
command
if we
think this
way we'll
say well
that person
really wronged
me
really hurt
me
and I
need to
love myself
and have
some self
respect
so I'm
not gonna
forgive that
person
in fact
I'm not
gonna have
anything
to do
with that
person
I
don't
feel like
working
today
so I'm
just gonna
be lazy
and waste
my time
at work
no matter
that I'm
being paid
by my
neighbor
to do
this
work
I need
to love
myself
first
I deserve
it
it's
backwards
Jesus
commands
us to
love
Jesus
does not
command
us
to
love
ourselves
he
assumes
that we
already
love
ourselves
which we
do
no
exceptions
even
people
who
hate
themselves
and
harm
themselves
do so
because
ultimately
they love
themselves
the
intensity
of their
self
hatred
is
directly
proportional
to the
disappointment
they feel
from their
self
love
they're
not what
they want
to be
and they
harm
themselves
because
they love
themselves
because
that
physical
pain
provides
some
relief
and escape
from their
emotional
pain
that's
their way
of loving
themselves
no matter
how twisted
it might
be
we all
love
ourselves
so Jesus
does not
tell us
here to
pursue
self
love
he tells
us to
put down
self
love
so that
we can
pick up
neighbor
love
to become
more
self
forgetful
so that
we can
become
more
neighbor
mindful
on
these
two
commandments
Jesus
says
depend
all
the
law
and
the
prophets
the
word
the
Greek
word
translated
depend
here
is
literally
hang
all
of
the
Old
Testament
hangs
on
these
two
commandments
the
Jewish
there
was a
Jewish
rabbi
who
rightly
commented
one
time
that
the
Sabbath
laws
are
as
mountains
hanging
by
a
hair
for
scripture
is
scanty
but the
rules
are
many
but not
with these
two
commandments
the
rules
are
simple
but
scriptural
support
is
robust
the
two
commandments
can
bear
the
entire
weight
of the
Old
Testament
this
is
the
royal
law
the
great
command
because
it's
comprehensive
and
inclusive
of all
the
other
commands
but
there's
still
something
that
Jesus
must
add
to
this
great
command
from
the
Old
Testament
read
with
me
from
starting
verse
41
now
while
the
Pharisees
were
gathered
together
Jesus
asked
them
a
question
saying
what
do
you
think
about
the
Christ
whose
son
is
he
they
said
to
him
the
son
of
David
he
said
to
them
how
is
it
then
that
David
in
the
spirit
calls
him
Lord
saying
the
Lord
said
to
my
Lord
sit
at
my
right
hand
until
I
put
your
enemies
under
your
feet
if
then
David
calls
him
Lord
how
is
he
his
son
and
no
one
was
able
to
answer
him
a
word
nor
from
that
day
did
anyone
dare
to
ask
him
any
more
questions
Jesus
was
introduced
to us
in
Matthew
chapter
1
with
the
title
son
of
David
and
people
have
been
calling
him
son
of
David
throughout
the
gospel
David
was
the
great
king
he
really
is
the
greatest
king
in
Israel's
history
and
God
had
promised
to
him
in
2
Samuel
7
12
to
14
that
his
dynasty
his
kingdom
will
last
forever
however
Israelites
sinned
and then
they were
defeated
by
Syria
and then
Babylon
and then
they were
exiled
and the
last
Davidic
king
was
ejected
and the
dynasty
was
cut
off
so
where
is
the
fulfillment
of
the
promise
that
God
had
given
to
David
that's
what
led
to
this
messianic
expectation
that
the
Messiah
who
will
come
one
day
and
Jeremiah
23
explicitly
prophesied
of
this
branch
that will
spring
up
from
the
root
of
David
who
will
come
to
redeem
his
people
and
to
be
king
over
his
people
that's
the
Messiah
Jesus
so
Jesus
is
that
son
of
David
so
Jesus
is
not
denying
here
that
he
is
the
son
of
David
we've
been
told
all
throughout
the
gospel
of
Matthew
that
he
is
the
son
of
David
but
he's
also
trying
to
tell
us
and
to
tell
these
Pharisees
that
he
is
more
than
the
son
of
David
he's
not
merely
a
biological
descendant
of
David
he
is
the
son
of
the
most
high
God
this
is
the
point
that
Jesus
is
trying
to
prove
here
by
quoting
psalm
110
verse
1
that
psalm
is
explicitly
ascribed
to
king
David
it
says
it's
of
David
wrote
it
and
David
says
when
he
sees
this
prophetic
vision
he
says
the
Lord
says
the
Lord
God
Yahweh
says
to
my
Lord
sit
at
my
right
hand
until
I
put
your
enemies
under
your
feet
now
that
raises
a
very
interesting
question
David
is
the
king
and
he's
not
just
a
king
he
is
the
greatest
king
in
Israel's
history
who
in
the
world
is
David
calling
my
Lord
it's
not
the
Lord
God
the
father
he
says
Yahweh
the
Lord
says
to
my
Lord
who
is
that
Lord
that
Lord
has
to be
someone
greater
than
David
and
Jesus
is
saying
well
then
why
do
you
call
me
son
of
David
yeah
I
am
a
son
of
David
but
don't
you
forget
I
am
also
the
Lord
of
David
and
now
put
this
together
with
what
we
just
saw
what
was
the
great
command
love
the
Lord
your
God
with
all
your
heart
all
your
soul
all
your
mind
and
why
does
Jesus
right
after
that
go to
Psalm
1310
verse
1
where
David
says
my
Lord
said
to
my
the
Lord
Yahweh
said
to
my
Lord
Jesus
is
saying
I
am
that
Lord
I
am
the
Lord
of
creation
I
am
the
word
by
whom
all
the
cosmos
was
created
I
am
the
Lord
to
whom
you
owe
all
of
your
allegiance
and
loyalty
fall
before
me
in
worship
you
owe
me
your
heart
your
soul
your
mind
I
am
that
Lord
it's
an
audacious
claim
and
yet
we
crucified
him
yet
we
rejected
him
yet
we
spurn
him
every
single
day
so
what
are we
to do
when we
fail
to love
God
every
single
day
I
felt
so
convicted
this
week
reading
a book
called
lectures
to my
students
with some
of our
pastoral
staff
by
Spurgeon
Charles
Spurgeon
and he
writes
about
an
17th
century
English
pastor
named
Joseph
Alain
and he
writes
that how
Joseph
Alain
it was
his
habit
to wake
up at
4am
in the
morning
and then
he
would
spend
4am
to
8am
in prayer
and holy
meditation
on the
word
of
God
and
whenever
he would
get up
in the
morning
and he
hears
other
tradesmen
working
a
construction
worker
working
before
he got
up
to do
his
devotions
he said
oh
how
that
noise
shames
me
does
not
my
master
deserve
better
than
theirs
of
course
he
does
they're
getting
up at
3am
in the
morning
to
serve
their
earthly
master
and
here
I
am
waking
up
at
4am
to
serve
my
heavenly
master
does
not
my
master
deserve
better
than
theirs
and
I
read
that
this
week
and
I
felt
so
convicted
because
I
don't
love
God
like
I'm
supposed
to
4am
I
don't
pray
like
I'm
supposed
to
I
don't
meditate
or
memorize
God's
word
like
I'm
supposed
to
I
don't
obey
him
like
I'm
supposed
to
I
don't
love
him
with
all
my
heart
and
soul
and
mind
the
way
he
deserves
so
what
are
we
to
do
as
people
who
have
fallen
short
we
rejoice
in the
good
news
that
we
read
in our
assurance
of
pardon
in
1
John
4
verse
10
verse
19
he
says
in
this
is
love
not
that
we
have
loved
God
but
that
he
loved
us
and
sent
his
son
to
be
the
propitiation
for
our
sins
and
it
says
in
verse
19
we
love
because
he
first
loved
us
isn't
that
good
news
we
don't
love
God
the
way
we
should
but
he
loved
us
first
it's
not
that
we
loved
him
no
that's
not
how
we're
saved
he
loved
us
and
because
he
loved
us
and
because
he
knew
that
we
will
never
love
him
the
way
we
ought
to
he
sent
his
only
son
Jesus
Christ
to die
for
our
lack
of
love
for
our
breaking
of
the
great
command
first
commandment
and
the
second
commandment
that's
why
Jesus
died
on
the
cross
and
how
can
that
be
I
was
thinking
about
this
this week
too
like
with
our
anniversary
is
approaching
when I
first
met
Hannah
I
liked
her
right
away
and
in
my
youthful
delusion
I
thought
she
liked
me
first
I
was
like
oh
I
think
she
likes
me
she
digs
me
you
know
and
then
later
as I
started
pursuing
her
I
realized
oh
no
she
actually
is
not
interested
in
me
at
all
it
took
a lot
of
wooing
to get
her
to
start
to
take
interest
and
then
if
you
think
about
it
now
and
I'm
like
wow
well
duh
of
course
how
stupid
was
I
like
you
could
Sean
first
well
of course
Sean
loved
Hannah
first
right
how
does
the
Lord
of
creation
love
a
sinful
worm
like
me
first
how
does
he
love
me
first
how
can
that
be
how
can
that
before
I
made
any
move
toward
him
he
made
his
move
and
he
sent
his
son
and
he
gave
his
life
for
me
how
does
he
love
me
and
love
you
first
that's
the
gospel
we
love
because
he
first
loved
us
brothers
and
sisters
remember
that
love
remember
that
love
when
you
mourn
that
you
don't
love
God
enough
remember
that
love
oh
but
you
love
me
enough
remember
that
love
and go
to that
love
and go
back
to that
love
and you
do it
again
and again
and you
will find
ineluctably
that your
love for
him
grows
day
by day
that's
how
it's
meant
to work
let's
pray
oh
father
we
praise
you
that
you
loved
us
first
we
love
you
lord
jesus
because
you
loved
us
first
and
gave
yourself
up
for
us
father
help
all
my
brothers
and
sisters
here
in this
room
to know
your
love
help
them
never
to doubt
it
and may
that
love
spur
in them
a deep
abiding
love
for you
that courses
through
all of
their
lives
every
aspect
of
their
lives
they
may
love
you
with
all
their
heart
soul
and
mind
in
jesus
name
we
pray
amen