Many Christians view their relationship with God as performance-based, believing He only loves them when they're doing more and trying harder. In Matthew 22, Jesus identifies the Greatest Commandment as loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and loving your neighbor as yourself. Far from simplifying the law, Jesus was highlighting its impossibility—the standard is perfection, not just effort. The law and grace must be kept separate, not commingled.

The law's true purpose is to show us our inability to meet God's perfect standard, like trying to jump 29 feet when the world record is just over that. No amount of practice or effort will get us there. This realization should lead us not to despair but to grace. Christ has already accomplished the purpose of the law for us, making the impossible possible. God is far less interested in our attempts to prove our love for Him and more concerned with us learning to receive and rest in His perfect love for us.

The invitation is to give up striving and instead enjoy the gift of what He's already given—His unconditional love and acceptance.