Friday, February 4, 2011
Matthew 22: 37,38 "Selfishness Is Way Worse Than Woundedness" (February 4)
Matthew 22:34 Jesus silenced the Sadducees so now the Pharisees take him on. The Greek says the test question is delivered with malicious intent by one of their well-versed pharisaical lawyers. I wonder why theses men living by the letter of the law were so mean, in person, to the King of Kings? Matthew 22:37 is the greatest commandment: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind...You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Conjoined Commands is what they call it. Then, Jesus asks the Pharisees a grave question in 22:42: "What do you think about the Christ?..." And He silenced them all. And all these years later, He silences me and the question resonates in my heart: What do you really think about the Christ? Do you think He is a Good God? I'm stuck in believing that I need healing for all that is going on inside of me...and I need people who will treat me with respect and be a lot more kinder than they are. But God says to me this day Matt 22: 37-38. I need to love! I need His Forgiveness for my self-obsession and His Power to love those who have deeply offended me. And as it says somewhere in 66 Love Letters, if I start thinking that my woundedness is way more of a serious problem than my selfishness, I'm not thinking right of the Christ I so love. Forgive us LORD for what we think & how we act that is not of love. Please give us Resurrection Power (Phil 3:10) to love those who have hurt us---to take a risk today and be all about Kingdom Living and move out in love.
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Intriged by your thoughts today, Bev. Conjoined commands, and a question within a question. I do believe God is a Good God.
ReplyDeleteI have been dealing with forgiveness as well, and I think hurt can become an all-consuming sin if I keep pulling it out and obsessing on it. I think a hurt can have a power to keep us away from God, if we can't move beyond it.
This year, after a year of mourning, crying, soul-searching, self-blame, and self-hate, I am putting my thoughts into a new pattern.
When I remember the hurt, I stop, take a deep breath, and say to myself,"Ok, that hurts, and it's ok to acknowledge that," it is not what what I wanted, it's not what I planned for, but this is what it is, and My God is in Control."
(Steven Curtis Chapman)
I then think of something nice about that person and say a prayer for them.
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
ReplyDeleteALL my heart.
ALL my soul.
ALL my mind.
Too often I let Him into a small portion of my heart, soul and mind. "ALL" is huge.
Have a nice day, sisters!
xoxo
Jan, that is love! Acknowledging our hurt, but stopping the downward spiral, thinking of something good, praying for them. Hard, hard thing to do. But a real how-to lesson for me in loving others. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI highlighted the "conjoined commands" as I read today. Lord, help us to love like You, and to love You with our whole selves, our bodies, our minds, our mouths (!) our lives and our hearts. Remove the debris of our hearts to freely love as we have been loved.
"We love because He first loved us."1 John 4:19
Ang, as I read through the scripture I came to the same conclusion for myself. Thank you for expressing it so well.
ReplyDeleteJan,Bev & Annette today you teach us all to remember when we have been hurt very deeply to take the time to think of something good about the person or situation and then pray for them or the situation.
As a very young child I learned this song in Sunday School... Praise Him, Praise Him all ye little children, God is LOVE, God is LOVE, Praise Him, Praise Him all ye little children, God is LOVE, God is LOVE.
Now as an adult I am still trying to comprehend God's love and so grateful for His Amazing Love just for me and remember to share that love with others.
This is a Song I must Sing, Sylvia
What does it look like this blistery day for each of us to love the LORD and others with all our heart, soul, and mind? We have been intentionally hurt if you've lived a little. We have been hurt unintentionally. Hurt and pain are not our violations---no sin there. But I end up thinking way too shallow about the sin I do commit as I try to wade through life. Our husbands and children and family and friends do things to us even in trying to love back and they still "miss" us. Made decisions that are just not right. Psalm 147:18 HE sends out His Word and melts our hearts like snow. May we learn a little bit more in this snowy season of life as we experience our scarlet sins. Turn them white as snow, Dear God. Absolutely love reading all your comments from Jan on through. You all direct me to our Friend, Who can give us His Power today to help us love from all of our heart. Pretty exciting to see His Power in each of you!
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, this passage was read at 99% of the church services I attended (in a different version):
ReplyDelete"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the great and first commandment. 39And(P) a second is like it:(Q) You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40(R) On these two commandments depend(S) all the Law and the Prophets."
It was the 1st passage which made me aware I was supposed to apply to my heart and live in love. To this day the passage is so special toe me. I truly want to love ALL people and love God with ALL my heart.