This morning in a discussion group at church, we examined Love God and Love Your Neighbor as being the way to do Christianity. These are both good and incredibly important things. But when Jesus was talking with the Pharisees about what the greatest Commandment was—after He said that that there were no Commandments greater than these—the Pharisee agreed and recognized this love being more important than church traditions, etc.. Interesting was that Jesus said that his agreement had the Pharisee "not far" from the kingdom of God.*
Not far. Close, but no cigar. I am a big fan of the God/Neighbor love. Yet what is missing from the "cigar" is Jesus. He is the critical piece to the "cigar". The completing piece. The divisive piece. The hard piece. Sometimes I forget this. We cannot not keep him forefront. We cannot truly and fully love without our understanding of our own failures and sin—and the recognition of the selfless and atoning love of Jesus.
I am gonna try to continue to love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. And love my neighbor as myself. And I want to do it through the lens and relationship of Jesus. No easy task. But the goal.
*See Mark 12:28-34
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