So what is the connection between loving God and loving our neighbour? If there is real love of God, there will be love for ourselves, and love for our neighbour.
See how complete Jesus reminds us this love for God is meant to be: all our heart, soul and mind.
We are so often tempted to hold something back. We want to love ourselves on our own terms – to love ourselves fully, like we should love God. But that would lead to a world full of Gods, and how would that work out?
Or we are tempted to put these two loves in opposition. I can either be good, ethical, and law-abiding to love God, or I can just love people. The problem with this is that true love of our neighbour flows from the love ofGod. Our love for God leads to love of our neighbours, which leads us to want to act right toward them. Without love for God, and an experience of his love, we each have to define love for ourselves, and we all have different ideas about what love is!
We’ll see tomorrow how Jesus’ self-giving love sets the pattern for our love, while freeing us from the traps of loving ourselves first, trying to use others to earn our salvation, or any other attempt to manipulate God or others.
Question: Define love.
Loading Content...
Share a Link to this Message
The link has been copied to your clipboard; paste it anywhere you would like to share it.
We’re looking at Jesus’ death this week, and how he didn’t need to, but allowed death to come for him so it couldn’t come for us.
This wouldn’t be passing moment in history, but something Jesus wanted his followers to remember. Here’s how he spent his last night of freedom, at a traditional Jewish Passover supper with friends, that became very non-traditional here.
Question: What helps you remember complex and important truths? In the glut of symbols this weekend – Easter eggs, bunnies, ham and more, what will help you remember Jesus’ death as the central focus?
