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You are right, Teacher
There is no other commandment greater than these.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ ’ —this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Mark 12:29-33
What do you think about this text that we have now read twice? Do you believe it is true? Would you answer, Teacher you are right? Then where does this leave us today?
I don’t know about you, but as much as I might agree to the words of Jesus, my life often speaks a different story. To deny this truth is to then live according to a lie.
A lie that fools me into thinking that I am okay that I don’t need to worry about the details of what defines who I really am: How I spend my time, where I invest my resources, or how I apply my abilities. That I am good just the way I am.
This lie leads me down a road of pride, of self-seeking satisfaction, and of secrecy that may appear to make me happy for a moment, but it never seems to be enough. My soul is empty, my heart is dry, and the people around me feel used or neglected by a person who is supposed to love and care for them.
“how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!” Hebrews 9:14
Moving from dead works to worship. Moving from Teacher you are right, to a love of God that changes everything about who we are and what we do.
Teacher you are right? Where does this leave you, where does this leave me today?
What is the desire of your heart as it relates to loving God with all that you are?
What would it take for you to listen to His word?
What would it look like for you to embrace His wisdom and His will for your life?
What would it mean for you to allow the Holy Spirit to move deeper then you know you needed?
If you were to experience the power of God working, the presence of God healing, the purposes of God coming alive, do you think you would know more fully the joy of your salvation, the hope of His glory, His peace that surpasses your own understanding?
Will you love God because you believe His love for you is that good, goes that deep, and is that true?
The alternative is to believe a lie and live in the foolishness of blinded eyes with ears that do not hear and a hardened heart that will not turn. But if we see and if we hear, if we allow our hearts to turn to Him, the effects of too much exposure to the world, the flesh, and the devil will be transformed to a new life of His glory that speaks a better word than the blood of bulls and goats, or any act of good will or kindness because it will be full of love of God and thus love for others. Amen.
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By St. Barnabas Episcopal Church
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There is no other commandment greater than these.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ ’ —this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Mark 12:29-33
What do you think about this text that we have now read twice? Do you believe it is true? Would you answer, Teacher you are right? Then where does this leave us today?
I don’t know about you, but as much as I might agree to the words of Jesus, my life often speaks a different story. To deny this truth is to then live according to a lie.
A lie that fools me into thinking that I am okay that I don’t need to worry about the details of what defines who I really am: How I spend my time, where I invest my resources, or how I apply my abilities. That I am good just the way I am.
This lie leads me down a road of pride, of self-seeking satisfaction, and of secrecy that may appear to make me happy for a moment, but it never seems to be enough. My soul is empty, my heart is dry, and the people around me feel used or neglected by a person who is supposed to love and care for them.
“how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!” Hebrews 9:14
Moving from dead works to worship. Moving from Teacher you are right, to a love of God that changes everything about who we are and what we do.
Teacher you are right? Where does this leave you, where does this leave me today?
What is the desire of your heart as it relates to loving God with all that you are?
What would it take for you to listen to His word?
What would it look like for you to embrace His wisdom and His will for your life?
What would it mean for you to allow the Holy Spirit to move deeper then you know you needed?
If you were to experience the power of God working, the presence of God healing, the purposes of God coming alive, do you think you would know more fully the joy of your salvation, the hope of His glory, His peace that surpasses your own understanding?
Will you love God because you believe His love for you is that good, goes that deep, and is that true?
The alternative is to believe a lie and live in the foolishness of blinded eyes with ears that do not hear and a hardened heart that will not turn. But if we see and if we hear, if we allow our hearts to turn to Him, the effects of too much exposure to the world, the flesh, and the devil will be transformed to a new life of His glory that speaks a better word than the blood of bulls and goats, or any act of good will or kindness because it will be full of love of God and thus love for others. Amen.
Support the show