Matthew the apostle wrote, “when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment”, and in chapter twenty-two and verse thirty-nine of his book Matthew shared how Jesus said, “the second is like unto it” where we read:
And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The verse reads, “And the second is like unto it, ...” Matthew began with the words, “and the second” which refers to “the second in rank, time, place, influence and honor” “is like unto it” which means “is similar, related and analogous”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the “second law” is “similar and related” to the “first commandment”.
The verse continues, “... You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”. Matthew added the words, “you shall love” which means “a person shall welcome, entertain, be fond of, be pleased with and be contented with” “your neighbor” which refers to “any other person where two are concerned and other fellow countrymen” “as yourself” which means “in the same way and similar to your own self”. Matthew shared how Jesus told the “Pharisee lawyer” that “loving your neighbor” in the same way as “you love yourself” is similar to “loving God” with all your “heart, soul and mind”.
When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we discover Jesus summing up the “law of God” with these two commands... “loving God and loving neighbors”. When we obey these laws, all the other commands of God fall fall in line behind. A person who loves God will seek to please Him in all they do, and those who love their neighbors will never do anything that will harm them in any way. God wants people to be in a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus, and when they submit themselves to Him, He will equip them to “love their neighbors” as themselves.
Next time Matthew wrote how Jesus said, “on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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