Jesus shares two essential truths in this gospel. For starters, who should be first in your life? God.
End of the story, right?
Well, we could drop the mic there and move on because there is no higher love or more significant action Jesus calls us to than to love the Lord with our entire being—heart, soul, mind and strength. Yet He continues the conversation with this: love your neighbor as yourself. Here’s the tricky part, friends. What if we aren’t loving God or ourselves the way we should? How could we possibly love that neighbor when we don’t have our priorities straight?
Love is complicated. Life can be messy. God knows we are born with sinful natures that get in the way even when we want to do the right thing. Yet when our pursuit of a perfect God is our first priority, loving others can help us love ourselves just a little bit more. Show not passive but active love: stand up for injustices, clothe and feed the poor, pursue grace and seek truth to renew your mind and fulfill the commandments that, as followers, we’re called to keep.
Love saves. Love heals. Love without limits was demonstrated on a cross for all who seek refuge, peace and eternal life—an example of selfless love like no other. That’s a message of hope every neighbor needs to hear.
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