2nd Greatest

This will come as no surprise to you: Jesus was a master teacher. He came to the earth to bring a New Covenant to God's people. He changed mindsets and broke through traditions and brought about new thinking. His ability to communicate change was impeccable. He had his share of opposition, of course, mostly in the form of guys like me...the religious leaders. The Pharisees and Sadducees weren't inherently bad guys. They knew the word of God better than most. They lived and breathed God's work as they knew it best. They tested Jesus time and time again. One of my favorite examples of Jesus' teaching the religious leaders comes from Matthew 22:

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" [They were referring to what we know as the Old Testament. How could anyone say what part of the Bible is most important? Clearly a trap!] Jesus replied: "Love The Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. [He doesn't stop there.] And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

See what He did there? "Love The Lord your God..." Clearly, who could argue with that? Commandment number 1. Well played, Jesus, well played indeed. He could have stopped there, but he used this moment to teach you and I something. "Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." See what he did there? He summed up everything in God's story in two commands.

No Christian I know argues the necessity of loving God. The loving your neighbor part, that ones a little tougher isn't it? Jesus defines "neighbor" as everyone but you. I understand the need to love others. My problem arises with how Jesus defines others. I can love people like me and people who like me. People who disagree with me? That's a different story. People who don't like me, people who have a different worldview than me, people who understand life different than me, people who act different than me...now Jesus is just meddling.

It's easy to love people that are easy to love, isn't it? What do we do about the rest of the world? I heard a quote from Reggie Joiner recently. He said:

"Jesus didn't say, 'Change your neighbor as yourself.' He said, 'Love them.'"

Ouch. It's easier to give money to people who will help those people, isn't it. It's easier to simply avoid situations where you might encounter those people, isn't it. It's easier to try to make them change to become more like you than it is to love them, isn't it.

Jesus didn't say 'Give them money to make yourself feel better for your inaction.' He said love them. Loving your neighbor is messy. Loving your neighbor means understanding them where they are, no matter where they are or where they have been. Loving your neighbor means pouring your life into their life. It means giving time, attention, and energy.

Why would we do that? Why would Jesus say that this is so important? Because this is exactly what He did for you, isn't it? We were messed up (Who am I kidding? We still are aren't we?). Jesus was willing to reach down from the throne room of heaven in all His glory, to take the human form in all its weaknesses, frailty, and filth that He might restore us to a right relationship with God. He poured his life into the poor and the wealthy, the religious and the irreligious, the thieves and the beggars, me and to you that we might know the grace of God.

Why does Jesus tell us to love them? Because he first loved us. We have the best news, the Good News. Who aren't you loving because it would get too messy? Maybe it would be better stated: Who do you need to love today?