Feb 23 • Christian Ethics
The Super Bowl Halftime Show and What It Really Means to Love
In Matthew 22, Jesus had just silenced the Sadducees. They were trying to catch Jesus in a contradiction per usual, but they just kept failing. It's hard to make the Son of God commit a fault.
Then, the Pharisees, seeing that the Sadducees couldn't get one over on Jesus, figured they'd give it a shot. They probably thought they could do it better.
They gathered together.
"Anybody have something to throw at him?"
A lawyer spoke up, "I think I got something. I don't think he'll be able to answer this one. This is a good".
"Cool, take Him out", they might have said.
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" the lawyer says to Jesus, quietly hoping he'll trip Jesus up and get praise from his buddies. Maybe he'd get a free round of golf.
Of course, Jesus doesn't trip up.
"And 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. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37, 39-40 ESV).
The lawyer goes away bummed that Jesus wins again and he wins no bets, but we go away learning something significant about love.
He says the 2 greatest commandments are to love God and to love people.
Jesus gives these 2 greatest commands in a specific order.
"The first and greatest commandment is to love God".
"The second...is to love others".
Love God first, then love people.
Love God with all your heart, mind and strength.
Then, you will be able to love others properly.
Did you see the halftime show at the Super Bowl?
They showed on the big screen a banner:
"The only thing more powerful than hate is love".
Amen.
That's a true statement...in the right context. And that context is what this post is all about.
The right context is that our love for others must be ordered after our love for God.
Where the world get's things twisted is when it tries to love others without first loving and obeying God.
This is all too common in society, and even in some pockets of the Church.
If we don't order our love, putting God first, and then loving others, we will end up offering a twisted kind of love that is defined on primarily on emotion rather than grounded in God's Word and His truth.
We show our love for God by obeying His commands (1 John 5:3).
We cannot separate loving people from loving God and following His commands. Even the unpopular ones.
The only thing more powerful than hate is love...
Properly defined by God.
1
1 comment
The Super Bowl Halftime Show and What It Really Means to Love
powered by
skool.com/wisdomu-3426
Theology 101 is THE PLACE to learn and discuss Christian theology and ethics.
Suggested communities
Powered by