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Lead Like Moses Devotional 55

by David Joynt on August 05, 2022


MATTHEW 22:36-40 | 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 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.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Jesus said the greatest commandments were to love God and neighbor. In what sense are the love commands “the greatest”?

Paul suggests, in 1 Corinthians 13, that love is the greatest gift because without it, no other gift is ultimately effective. Love animates and focuses and empowers other abilities like wisdom, knowledge, eloquence, generosity, and sacrifice (read 1 Corinthians 13:14).

Love also includes other virtues by implication. To love God implies you will obey Him, as Jesus comments: “If you love me you will obey my commands.” Submission and honor and dedication are all necessary when love is genuine and constant. In fact, love without them is incomprehensible.

Further, love of God orders every other kind of love and desire. Sin is disordered desire, where our love for God is superseded by love of self, love of money, love of popularity, love of pleasure, love of entertainment, etc. The love of God is the greatest command because it organizes every other form of love.

What do you think is so great about the love command?

Tags: love command


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