LOVE Lent 10

Scripture

...One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ He said to 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 greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’

Matthew 22.35-40

Reflection

The greatest commandments, or the summary of the Law as it is known in Anglican Tradition, are love. Love for God and for neighbour - and the way that Jesus says that 'a second is like it' equates all the love and spiritual devotion we give to God, to that love we share with our neighbour (for more food for thought about who our neighbour is, the parable of the Good Samaritan is a good starting place, then it's worth looking up just how despised samaritans were at the time of the Gospel being written).

What is striking is that we are called to love God with heart, soul, and mind. In other words, with all we are - it's a calling to love without reservation - and the echo of that is to love one another (our neighbour) without reservation. That kind of devotion, that kind of love - for God, neighbour, and onesself, is something that is a life long journey, and a journey on which God accompanies, strengthens, and transforms us.

Prayer

Which commandment in the law is greatest?
Love your God.
And the second?
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Love
with all your heart.
Love
with all your soul.
Love
with all your mind.
Love
with all your strength.
On these commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Blessed are those whose delight is in the law of our God.

From SpaciousFaith.com