By Revd 'Remi Tejumola
Matthew 22:35-40
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 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.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Loving God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind is the most important act you can put forth in your life, and God requires this of you. That is why it is a commandment. A commandment is a charge, an instruction you are expected to keep and obey - a rule you are to observe strictly. No, it's not an advice!
Many times when people fell in love it consumes their whole being - I think you understand this. Ask yourself, Have I ever loved God like this - in a way that consumes me? Most people would have to admit and say, No, I haven't. But that's what God requires of us all, at least He requires that of me.
When people fall in love there are certain ways they express this. It will become like a song in their lips: I love you. I love her. She's everything to me. He's my all in all. I cannot do without him/her. Did you know that God can be like this to you too. You can go before God in prayer and start saying to Him, I love You, Lord. You are everything to me. You are my ALL in ALL. My life would never be all it's supposed to be without You, Lord. I adore and worship You.
The next thing God expects from you through which you can also express your love for Him is to keep His Word - obey His Word in the Bible and the Word He speaks to you by the Holy Spirit. All your confession of your love for Him will be rendered meaningless if you are a disobedient person! Jesus said, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him" (John 14:21).
Love is a lot stronger than likeness or fondness. Love is of the heart! Once love starts from the heart it can then flow into the soul and the mind. And I tell ya, it affects your body as if supernatural strength is flowing into you - especially when you know that the object of your love is nearby - approaching you!
The second commandment is equally important. The truth is if you're keeping the first commandment, you are still required by God to keep strictly the second one: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. You must love your neighbour the same way you love yourself. Treat your neighbour the same way you would treat number one - you! You said, 'That is a tall order!' But that's what God commanded - He doesn't want double-standard from us.
Now, who is your neighbour, is it the man next door? Jesus answered the question with a twist to what we knew as a neighbour. Read:
Luke 10:25-37
25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
I hope you noticed Jesus words in verse 38, "Which ... of these three ... was NEIGHBOUR unto him that fell among the theives?" This shows in a strong way that neighbourliness is what you are expected to practice just like acts of charity - it is what you do to others. You are supposed to be a 'neighbour' to anyone in need. And the command is that you show that 'care' the same way you would have done it for yourself, if you were in the same situation. So it's all about what you do to the next person. You are supposed to be 'the neighbour' doing something for others who are in need, whether or not they are of the same tribe with you - whether or not they are Christians like you. It begins with you.
Let us take this to another dimension. The parable of the sheep and the goats:
Matthew 25:31-46
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
The Lord Jesus really spelt it out so clearly, and it's only the selfish that will not appreciate this teaching. But thank God, many like you will respond to this message and practice been a neighbour to someone else. God bless you.
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