This is simple Christianity. When Jesus was asked by a Pharisee what the greatest commandment was, he didn’t hesitate to answer:

He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭37‬-‭39‬ ‭CSB‬‬

The first command refers to Deuteronomy 6:5:

Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭6‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬

And the next comes from Leviticus.

Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭19‬:‭18‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Jesus’ words were the same ones the Jews had been taught from the beginning. His words didn’t contradict the law, but instead summarized it.

In Luke’s account, (Luke 10:25-37), the Pharisee goes on to ask, “Who is my neighbor?” And Jesus tells him the story we call The Parable of the Good Samaritan. In this story are four key players. The first is an unfortunate soul who is beaten and robbed. The priest and the Levite were tasked with religious duties of the day and I couldn’t help but compare them to the riddle: why did the chicken cross the road? It was the Samaritan—someone the Jews hated—that showed mercy.

There are many lessons we can glean from this parable, (I actually used a similar situation in my novel), but the one I want to point to is: loving God is about love not religion.

Let’s venture into “the love chapter” 1 Corinthians 13. It starts like this:

If I speak human or angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬ ‭CSB‬‬

The world doesn’t want to hear how religious we are. We just become an irritation.

In the middle is the part that finds it’s way into wedding ceremonies.

Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭CSB‬‬

1 John 4:8 tells us God is love, so you could read this inserting “God” everywhere “love” is used. That is easy. But we are called to love, too. Go back and read that with your name in place of love. Not so easy. Huh?

I’ll pick one: Sandy does not keep a record of wrongs. You notice it doesn’t say wrongs won’t happen, But if I’m to express God’s love to others, I can’t hold a grudge, I need to forgive.

Then Peter approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?”

“I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, asked us to go further than we could go in our own nature.

But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you…

But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭27‬-‭28‬, ‭35‬-‭37‬ ‭CSB‬‬

This is simple Christianity, what you might call the bare bones. It doesn’t mean we don’t recognize wrongs or our enemies, but it requires a different paradigm than what is in the world.

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Grace & Peace,

Sandy

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