Read Matthew 22.34-46
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We read in this gospel passage the great Summary of the Law from the lips of Jesus. While the scribes and teachers of the Mosaic tradition had identified 613 commandments (and a 614th - "Don't forget the first 613") to define the life of the righteous Israelite, Jesus boiled it all down to two: love of God, and love of neighbor.
Love of God comes first - we orient our lives by ascribing to God the greatest devotion. From God we receive life itself - and all the blessings and challenges that come with living according to His will. In practical terms, we love God by living in humility and obedience, as Jesus shows us in his life as the Son of the Father.
Love of neighbor flows from our love of God - but Jesus suggests there is an intermediate step. For he says, "you shall love your neighbor as yourself." Some have suggested this means, 'You should love your neighbor as much as you love yourself." Maybe. Or maybe what Jesus means is that when we love God with all our being - heart, soul, and mind - we come to understand that we are beloved children. As followers of Jesus, who put all our trust and faith in Him, we know we have been adopted as very sons and daughters. If we accept that gracious truth, then we are able to look at our neighbor and also see one who is loved by God with an everlasting love.
Today, consider the earth-shattering truth that you are, by your faith in Christ, adopted into God's family. Then let that truth overwhelm you. And, as you encounter people today, ask God to help you see them in the way that He does.
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