"But you have neglected the more important matters..." Matthew 23:23
A dear friend of mine is very soon going to get married. He wrote me recently an email conveying that news, which I was thrilled to read.
Having known him as a fine German christian, I was glad to see the unfolding of a new chapter in his life and another role that he will be fulfilling in this earthly pilgrimage.
The role of a husband.
In that email he also asked me if I could speak for 10-15 minutes on his wedding day on the topic "how to live a christian life".
An offer I happily accepted after giving a thought to it.
Matthew 22:35-40, was the passage that time and again surfaced to the top of my thoughts, as I was pondering over what to say on that topic.
Paraphrased version of that passage is like this.
A teacher of the law, a Pharisee, trying to trick or test Jesus asked him, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law ?"
Funny though, how often when the intent is to express sharp disagreement with someone, the opening words of such statements are the most gracious or of great appraisal of the person they are addressed to.
For example, "Sir all with all due respect, I think you are wrong...".!!!
The Pharisee, even though with an intent trick or tempt Jesus, addresses Jesus as "Teacher".
Probably this same man was one among the others, who few days later will be shouting at the top of their voice "Away with him, Crucify him" at the trial of Jesus.
Jesus answers him straight forwardly. Straightforwardly because, Jesus roughly nine out ten times responded the questioner with a question.
But here he resorts to answering the question plainly.
Jesus responds by saying "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."
And "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Jesus declares the former statement as the great and foremost commandment, and the latter one as the second great commandment.
This is a huge step in the condensation of the ten commandments and scores of others that the Lord gave to the Israelites.
Jesus went on further to say "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." Wow!
What an authority Jesus displays here in his speech, as recorded in this passage.
Reading those words don't we find saying to ourselves, just like those two on the road of Emmaus after hearing Jesus speak (not knowing he was Jesus) said to each other
"Did not our hearts burn within ourselves all the while he was speaking to us?".
There are three principles, I think, Jesus wants us to get hold of, from these two statements on which, as he says, hang all the Law and the Prophets.
(1) Your Worship is sacred. "Love the Lord your God". What do we love the most? What is our greatest desire?
It would become clear, I think, what I love the most or what is my greatest desire, if somehow the thoughts and desires of my heart could be videotaped for a week and then displayed on the screen.
Could it be my life, my spouse, my friend, money, comforts of life, car, sports, and the list goes on. A life with no reference to God.
Can we really with all integrity say like David said in Psalms 27
"One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple."
Jesus said "Love the Lord your God" because your Worship is sacred in the sight of God.
(2) Your Body is sacred. "...with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." In John 4, Jesus speaking to a woman, who had lived a life of adultery, even till the very moment she encountered Jesus, the only worshipers that God the Father seeks for and is pleased with, are the ones who worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.
After receiving Jesus as the Lord and Saviour of our lives, our bodies become the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 6:19. The Spirit of Truth, John 16:13.
Enabling us to present the worship that is acceptable to God, Romans 12:1 and 2.
What are we doing with our bodies? Are we aware of the treasure that God has placed in this jars of clay, 2 Corinthians 4:7.
Jars of clay that is our body. Our bodies are sacred in the sight of God. And only He as the potter can know the value of His creation. And only He can restore that value and sacredness, which has been lost due to our sin fallen nature.
(3) Your Relationships are sacred. Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as your self."
"...as your self", now this is not a biblical warrant for engaging in selfish or self-centered love. This statement of Jesus is similar in spirit and essence as the one in another place where he says "Do unto all men as ye would they should do unto you".
For married people, Paul says, Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her. Wives respect your husbands.
Towards our fellow brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, the church, Jesus commanded, "Love one another as I have loved". Witnessing this
kind of love within the church, the lost world will know that we are truly disciples of Jesus, John 13:34 and 35.
Towards our enemies, Jesus commands "love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you", Matthew 5:44.
Is there anyone left? That covers all the spheres of relationships, broadly put !
But the necessary thing to understand here is this, that the source of that kind of selfless love for our neighbor is the love for the Lord our God.
There is no way one can show Christ like love to his or her neighbor, unless he or she is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. And thus that person has put God in first and foremost place in his or her life.
Then and only then, that amazing love can be displayed or shown towards others, "because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us", Romans 5:5.
Our worship is sacred in the sight of God. Our bodies are sacred in the sight of God. Our relationships are sacred in the sight of God.
Are they sacred in our sight too?
They should be, if we truly call ourselves to be followers of Christ. May we not neglect the "more important matters".
They should be important to us, because they are important to God.
A dear friend of mine is very soon going to get married. He wrote me recently an email conveying that news, which I was thrilled to read.
Having known him as a fine German christian, I was glad to see the unfolding of a new chapter in his life and another role that he will be fulfilling in this earthly pilgrimage.
The role of a husband.
In that email he also asked me if I could speak for 10-15 minutes on his wedding day on the topic "how to live a christian life".
An offer I happily accepted after giving a thought to it.
Matthew 22:35-40, was the passage that time and again surfaced to the top of my thoughts, as I was pondering over what to say on that topic.
Paraphrased version of that passage is like this.
A teacher of the law, a Pharisee, trying to trick or test Jesus asked him, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law ?"
Funny though, how often when the intent is to express sharp disagreement with someone, the opening words of such statements are the most gracious or of great appraisal of the person they are addressed to.
For example, "Sir all with all due respect, I think you are wrong...".!!!
The Pharisee, even though with an intent trick or tempt Jesus, addresses Jesus as "Teacher".
Probably this same man was one among the others, who few days later will be shouting at the top of their voice "Away with him, Crucify him" at the trial of Jesus.
Jesus answers him straight forwardly. Straightforwardly because, Jesus roughly nine out ten times responded the questioner with a question.
But here he resorts to answering the question plainly.
Jesus responds by saying "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."
And "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Jesus declares the former statement as the great and foremost commandment, and the latter one as the second great commandment.
This is a huge step in the condensation of the ten commandments and scores of others that the Lord gave to the Israelites.
Jesus went on further to say "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." Wow!
What an authority Jesus displays here in his speech, as recorded in this passage.
Reading those words don't we find saying to ourselves, just like those two on the road of Emmaus after hearing Jesus speak (not knowing he was Jesus) said to each other
"Did not our hearts burn within ourselves all the while he was speaking to us?".
There are three principles, I think, Jesus wants us to get hold of, from these two statements on which, as he says, hang all the Law and the Prophets.
(1) Your Worship is sacred. "Love the Lord your God". What do we love the most? What is our greatest desire?
It would become clear, I think, what I love the most or what is my greatest desire, if somehow the thoughts and desires of my heart could be videotaped for a week and then displayed on the screen.
Could it be my life, my spouse, my friend, money, comforts of life, car, sports, and the list goes on. A life with no reference to God.
Can we really with all integrity say like David said in Psalms 27
"One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple."
Jesus said "Love the Lord your God" because your Worship is sacred in the sight of God.
(2) Your Body is sacred. "...with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." In John 4, Jesus speaking to a woman, who had lived a life of adultery, even till the very moment she encountered Jesus, the only worshipers that God the Father seeks for and is pleased with, are the ones who worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.
After receiving Jesus as the Lord and Saviour of our lives, our bodies become the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 6:19. The Spirit of Truth, John 16:13.
Enabling us to present the worship that is acceptable to God, Romans 12:1 and 2.
What are we doing with our bodies? Are we aware of the treasure that God has placed in this jars of clay, 2 Corinthians 4:7.
Jars of clay that is our body. Our bodies are sacred in the sight of God. And only He as the potter can know the value of His creation. And only He can restore that value and sacredness, which has been lost due to our sin fallen nature.
(3) Your Relationships are sacred. Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as your self."
"...as your self", now this is not a biblical warrant for engaging in selfish or self-centered love. This statement of Jesus is similar in spirit and essence as the one in another place where he says "Do unto all men as ye would they should do unto you".
For married people, Paul says, Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her. Wives respect your husbands.
Towards our fellow brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, the church, Jesus commanded, "Love one another as I have loved". Witnessing this
kind of love within the church, the lost world will know that we are truly disciples of Jesus, John 13:34 and 35.
Towards our enemies, Jesus commands "love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you", Matthew 5:44.
Is there anyone left? That covers all the spheres of relationships, broadly put !
But the necessary thing to understand here is this, that the source of that kind of selfless love for our neighbor is the love for the Lord our God.
There is no way one can show Christ like love to his or her neighbor, unless he or she is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. And thus that person has put God in first and foremost place in his or her life.
Then and only then, that amazing love can be displayed or shown towards others, "because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us", Romans 5:5.
Our worship is sacred in the sight of God. Our bodies are sacred in the sight of God. Our relationships are sacred in the sight of God.
Are they sacred in our sight too?
They should be, if we truly call ourselves to be followers of Christ. May we not neglect the "more important matters".
They should be important to us, because they are important to God.
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