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A Question of Love
by C.E. White
12-23-04

The Greatest Commandment

37 JESUS replied: " ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

If these are the greatest commandments - in the name of "what" is it alright for us not to comply? In the name of the truth? For truth’s sake can we not love someone? In the name of our job? In the name of the exact scriptures? In the name of peace? In the name of war? In the name of – you are rude, ugly, different, fat, mean, unlikable?

Do we not understand what these scriptures mean?

Verse 37 thru 39 we tend to read and say we understand. We’ll get back to our understanding of these two things in a minute.

Verse 40 "All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." We tend to ignore this verse and as a result we fail to completely place love where it belongs.

If all of the law and the prophets "hang" on these two commandments, doesn’t it mean that they (the law and the prophets) are beneath these two commandments or more succinctly stated " these two commandments are at the top" by themselves?

If they are at the top by themselves, wouldn’t that mean they are the top of the mountain? When you climb a mountain have really you climbed the mountain if you haven’t reached the peak – the very top? Oh, you have climbed on it – you’ve gone rock climbing – but haven’t really climbed a mountain unless you have been to the top.

So, until we have reaches the top of GOD’s mountain we have climbed on Christianity but we are not GODs child.

Within the confines of these four scriptures (Matthew 22:37:40) the LORD tells us

1. what is the first and greatest commandment
2. what is the second greatest commandment
3 then HE says that all the law and prophets hang on these two commandments
4 and HE says they are commandments and HE uses the word twice
5. the words "your neighbors" does not follow with exclusions – it doesn’t say it’s alright for us not to love someone for any reason, including but not limited to: if they are different, male, female, white, black, brown, a different religion,
6. HE is not speaking to the church here – HE was speaking to people at large – all of GOD’s people are to follow these commandments and it applies to all people. This is substantiated by Luke 6:27 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you."

Definition of commandment – "A command; an edict." "something that is commanded"

Definition of command – "To direct with authority; give orders to. To have control or authority over; rule

Definition of edict - A decree or proclamation issued by an authority and having the force of law. A formal pronouncement or command.

So HE gives us 6 messages in one and HE is directing us with authority HE has given us an order.

HE is not being vague. There is no gray area here. It is plain and simple. It is direct. There can be no misunderstanding. There are no other scriptures that dilute these scriptures. In fact all of the other scriptures support, substantiate and confirm these scriptures. Which confirms JESUS statement that " All of the law and prophets hang on these two commandments."

Can we love GOD and not love each other? The LORD says it can’t happen.

Luke 6:32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them.

MORE support, confirmation and substantiation of the two greatest commandments. MORE evidence as to he importance of love. The LORD has not left us in s state of confusion about love. HE’s been very direct about it. He’s been more clear and definite about this than any single other thought – WHY? BECAUSE it is the Two GREATEST Commandments – which means it is the single most important thing in the entire Bible. This statement does not take away for GOD’s greatness or HIS supremacy – for GOD is love!

If you do not love your brother – You are not a child of GOD!

Does this clarify it for you? If you do not climb to the top of the mountain (obey the two commandments as directed) and stay there GOD does not recognize you, nor me, as HIS child … PERIOD … No if, ands, or buts.

We think that we can love GOD and pick out who we want to love of our neighbors. We think that we can love our neighbor and spend no time with them; Or be in a rush to do something other than fellowship with our brother or sisters; be angry at them because they do not agree with us – particularly about the scriptures. The list goes on and on.

If I can demonstrate anger because someone does not agree with me about the scriptures – have I not set myself up as GOD? Have I not stated to this other person that I am better than them, for what I know is more than what they know?

In all discussions of truth, scripture and GOD we better use some wisdom and realize that not matter who it is that speaks they may have some insight that we don’t have - but at a minimum we better realize that we cannot judge them.

How can I demonstrate any of what love is and spend no time with my brother or sister in Christ?

How can we demonstrate patience, kindness, that we do not envy, we will not boast, we I will leave proud out of our life, that we are not rude, we are not self seeking, we are slow to anger, we keep no records of wrongs, that we delight in truth, that we protect, trust, hope and persevere – IF WE SPEND NO TIME with our brothers and sister sin Christ?

Worship service does not count for then we are spending time with the LORD!

I am angry and I hope 25 years of watching this perpetual problem is demonstrating that I am slow to anger.

The leaders of the LORD’s church are so busy trying to enforce or teach scripture that they completely miss the pinnacle -–the mountain peak. They don’t teach it and they do not set examples, as leaders, of what love is.

You must live it by example. Not where people watch you like television but where they experience it with you!

The preachers are also to blame. They get beat up by weak Christians, they grow tired and angry and they no longer focus on love. A preachers words goes ignored or rebuked so much that the preacher himself becomes hard hearted to loving his cynical, hypocritical, or immature brothers and sister in Christ. This is not justification nor is it an acceptable excuse. If you can’t love, if you can’t teach love, if you can’t lead love, then you have no effect and it’s time to repent or retire.

Love should be the number one thing we teach for it is the number one thing that GOD teaches. For it is the number one thing that GOD teaches – FOR IT IS THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT GOD TEACHES! AND it is the number one and two commandments.

Do we not know that if we teach love and learn it, as GOD directs what love is, and place love where it belongs, that we will be at the top of the mountain where GOD lives? We will be GOD’s child if we love as HE says.

We want to say that we do not follow the old testament but the truth is we do as the old testament people did. We try to make Christianity LAW! In other words we follow and teach black and white issues – the easy to see physical do’s and don’ts. See love is emotional. It’s not tangible. It’s not black and white and we would rather follow rules that we can see, touch, and use to make ourselves look better to ourselves than others.

We grow up with our rules. If we follow the rules of school, our ports games and our governmental law we are considered by people at large and by ourselves to be a good person.

We try to do the same thing with Christianity – If we follow the black and white rules of GOD them we are a good person.

After a person has stepped into the Christian world by obeying ACTS 2:38, The definition of a Christian is not "a good person" – it is not "a rule follower". It is a person that does what is right AND "loves GOD with all of their heart, mind and soul with all of their strength and loves their neighbor as themselves."

But I am not interested in what they have to say, or what they do or what is important to them - BUT you better be interested in them. No matter who they are but let’s start at home.

A man sets with his wife and she literally gushes about the beauty of some dress she saw. The patterns, the colors the way it was cut, how great the price was, on and on and on.

The man is thinking, "AW man why didn’t she buy that dress then I could have looked at it and said how pretty she looked in it and that would have been the end of this. I wish she’d shut up – Can’s she see I’m watching the game."

Well guys maybe that’s the problem – You’re watching the game and she’s talking to you not because of the game but because when you aren’t watching the game you are doing something else, anything else other than paying attention to your wife and her interests.

Also, if you think you wish she’d shut up that’s one thing – but of you communicate one iota of that entire thought you are not – patient or kind, you are self seeking, you are easily angered, you are not protecting, you are not being trustworthy, you squashed hope, your love has not persevered and your love has failed your wife.

All of this is summed up in " you are not protecting" your wife. What man is worth his salt if he does not protect his wife?

Love is not part time. you can’t put love on after you have watched your ball game or ladies after you have been listened too, or after you have released all of your anger at someone because they did something you do not like, or only when you have nothing better to do, or only when it will get you something you want - that’s not love…..

My point can be summed very easily but rather blunt - If you are going to perpetually refuse to climb to the top of the mountain – then you might as well get off of it! You are wasting your time and you are diluting the effectiveness of those who want to climb to the top. You are holding them back just as anchor that is hung on a log in the bottom of the river stops the boat from going anywhere – you are holding the church back. You are very possibly keeping a lost soul from crossing over the watery bridge of baptism.

But you know what I would rather see you do and so would GOD and JESUS?

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Yea – that is such a better choice.

(More to come about love)

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