Greetings Dear Reader,
I was struck the other day at how much is done to present water as pure, clean, and drinkable. I am fortunate enough to have well water that is sweet and clear. Clean water is the essence of our eating and drinking. From morning coffee, to ripe melon, to the best steak, clean water is involved in the process. All vegetables and animals we consume are water dependant. Everything that sustains us was once sustained by water. I point this out as an example of how narrow some things really are and yet they impact everything.
Mat 22:34 - 40
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. One of them, an expert in Moses' Teachings, tested Jesus by asking, "Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in Moses' Teachings?"
Jesus answered him, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' All of Moses' Teachings and the Prophets depend on these two commandments."
I have been pondering much lately just how intricate these simple words are. Let us take the last sentence first. “All of Moses Teaching and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.” It seems that the first and second commandments are a filter through which I may purify my interpretation and application of all else that the Bible teaches. Like the filter in my basement that removes iron from my water, this simple command from Christ can remove impurities from my attempts to follow him.
This filter in its simplicity can become the questions that serve as a foil to my fallen thinking. In both my vertical relationship with God and my horizontal relationship with other humans, I can frame what I do within these commands. The primary part of this filter may be obvious but still bears reinforcement. If I am to love God with all my heart, soul, and mind, then I must love my neighbor as myself. It is impossible to do the first without doing the second. This is why Christ pointed out that the second command is like the first.
It is the heart of God to love everyone. That must also, therefore, be my heart. I cannot love God if I hate anyone. I cannot withhold forgiveness to anyone that God would forgive. I may not keep someone at arm’s length that Christ would embrace. Everyone is my brother and sister. Everyone is my concern. I cannot pretend that I am doing my bit in the vertical relationship with God if I am not engaged in the horizontal relationship with those with whom my life intersects.
As I examine this simple filter it becomes very complex for me. The clear thing is that there are no issues that are untouched by this primary of all dictates from Christ. Everything I believe, feel, and think must be informed by my need to love God and those he created. Even this first step is one of great and significant faith, but I must take it.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure store."
I was struck the other day at how much is done to present water as pure, clean, and drinkable. I am fortunate enough to have well water that is sweet and clear. Clean water is the essence of our eating and drinking. From morning coffee, to ripe melon, to the best steak, clean water is involved in the process. All vegetables and animals we consume are water dependant. Everything that sustains us was once sustained by water. I point this out as an example of how narrow some things really are and yet they impact everything.
Mat 22:34 - 40
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. One of them, an expert in Moses' Teachings, tested Jesus by asking, "Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in Moses' Teachings?"
Jesus answered him, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' All of Moses' Teachings and the Prophets depend on these two commandments."
I have been pondering much lately just how intricate these simple words are. Let us take the last sentence first. “All of Moses Teaching and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.” It seems that the first and second commandments are a filter through which I may purify my interpretation and application of all else that the Bible teaches. Like the filter in my basement that removes iron from my water, this simple command from Christ can remove impurities from my attempts to follow him.This filter in its simplicity can become the questions that serve as a foil to my fallen thinking. In both my vertical relationship with God and my horizontal relationship with other humans, I can frame what I do within these commands. The primary part of this filter may be obvious but still bears reinforcement. If I am to love God with all my heart, soul, and mind, then I must love my neighbor as myself. It is impossible to do the first without doing the second. This is why Christ pointed out that the second command is like the first.
It is the heart of God to love everyone. That must also, therefore, be my heart. I cannot love God if I hate anyone. I cannot withhold forgiveness to anyone that God would forgive. I may not keep someone at arm’s length that Christ would embrace. Everyone is my brother and sister. Everyone is my concern. I cannot pretend that I am doing my bit in the vertical relationship with God if I am not engaged in the horizontal relationship with those with whom my life intersects.
As I examine this simple filter it becomes very complex for me. The clear thing is that there are no issues that are untouched by this primary of all dictates from Christ. Everything I believe, feel, and think must be informed by my need to love God and those he created. Even this first step is one of great and significant faith, but I must take it.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure store."
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