This week we come to the end of our series based on Bethel's 12 scriptures project. We have spent 12 weeks dwelling with passages that we have named as especially formative in our lives and in our congregation. We have spent time in the Old Testament, in the epistles, and in the gospels. The last three weeks, we focused in on formative passages within the Sermon on the Mount. This week, we end with a powerful passage from the Gospel of Matthew.
Matthew 22:34-40 seems an appropriate place to end our series. In the first place, a focal point of the passage is love which is a theme that has been present in most of our passages in one way or another throughout the series. But more than that it seems like an appropriate place to end the series because in this passage, Jesus is naming the greatest commandment and a second that is like it. And he declares in this that all the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments. Everything that we have been reflecting on and more hang on these two commandments. We tend to declare John 3:16 as a summary of the gospel, and it is; but here we have a summary of the whole of scripture.
Within this passage we learn that we are to love God. But this is more than some warm, fluffy feeling love. This is a love that encompasses our whole being: heart, soul, and mind. Along with that, we are to love our neighbor. Loving our neighbor is not a tack on to the gospel. It is central to all of scripture. It is a second commandment that is like the first. And we learn that all of scripture hangs on these two commandments. Perhaps at times, it is overwhelming to imagine living out all that the Bible has for us and yet here is an invitation to a simple but essential beginning: Love God, Love neighbor. The rest of scripture flows out of these two.
There is much that could be said about how we live out or apply these lessons to our faith journey. I will offer three for your consideration. First, we love God and express that love through our worship. But in order for our worship to be an expression of our love of God, it seems to me that our focus of worship should be more on what is God doing in worship and less on what am I getting out of worship or how am I being fed in worship. Certainly, an out pouring of worship will be of benefit to us as well; but that should not be our focus.
Second, we love our neighbor and express that love through service. But in order for our service to be an expression of love of our neighbor, it seems to me that we need to do more than enter a situation, provide aid and then depart. Service that expresses a deep love of neighbor is service that involves mutuality in which we are ministered to by each other through deep listening and sharing of our lives. It involves vulnerability in which take the risky move of developing relationships in our service and sharing of who we are beyond apparent need that we are addressing.
Third, we need to approach all of scripture as formative in our lives. If all of the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments, then all of scripture even the difficult passages should shape and form us. This requires intentionality in our approach. We often approach scripture as information or truths for us to master. And we should go to scripture for answers and we should study and learn it. But rather than attempting to master scripture, we should allow scripture to master us, to shape and form us. We should not simply study a passage, learn its content, and check it off our list as if it no longer has anything for us. We should live with and dwell with passages recognizing that a lifetime is not enough time for us to be fully formed by any passage.
As you consider the message of Matthew 22:34-40, reflect on these questions
in a time of silence, through journaling or in group dialogue.
1. How do you live out loving God with all that you are?
2. What are the ways that you love your neighbor as yourself?
3. What more might God be calling you or us to as we seek to live out these commandments?
4. What does it mean to you to consider that all of the law and the prophets hang on these two passages?
5. How is God calling you and us to be more intentional in our worship, service and approach to scripture?
May Jesus richly bless you in this week ahead, leading you in His kingdom purposes. Amen
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2 comments:
How are we to rise above the mistakes of not loving your neighbor. ?
This is a daily challenge. It seems to me that rising above our mistakes of not loving your neighbor requires a two prong approach. First it comes from continuing to be formed into the likeness of Christ. As we are internally reformed and shaped by Christ, we are able to see with His eyes and make different choices, to move from our "unloving" actions into more loving actions. Second, it comes from us making intentional choices about living into our relationship with our neighbor. This may require seeking and/or offering forgiveness when wrongs occur. But it also means building a relationship with our neighbor so that we have a foundation from which to build on "to rise above." No relationship is perfect and we will make our mistakes, but in choosing to build a relationship and showing love as the norm, we will be more able to move through those times when we fall short. These are often the little things that add up to mean so much: a warm greeting, a listening ear, a random act of kindness, etc.
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