Grace and peace,
today we are going over Matthew 22.
There is a link to it on biblegateway.com
We have this cake recipe for the best cake I’ve ever had. Assuming everything goes right in making, it is always the same. Simply awesome. Awesome might be a word used too much, so instead, it is awe inspiring! People who don’t eat flour, eat two pieces of this cake. As the saying goes, like a fine bottle of wine, it gets better with time. The first day of the cake, it is better than any other cake, except 1 thing. The same cake aged for a day. As it sits, it condenses and moistens into a think fudgy cake. The frosting for the cake? A homemade cream cheese frosting. This truly is the best cake. I have made this cake many times for many people and I always tell them how great it is and how it is the best cake they will ever have. I try to talk it up as much as possible and it never disappoints. I haven’t had someone say “I’ve had better.” This is so good, I tell people about it whenever I can (mainly during a conversation about cake).
Todays post is simple. It’s a simple command out of Matthew 22. Easy to memorize and most people already know it probably. It’s simple, but also the toughest command there can be. This command from Jesus, sums up everything.
EVERYTHING.
The Pharisees got together and questioned Jesus. They said “What is the greatest commandment?”
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. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Everything that Jesus did can be traced back to these 2 things.
Everything we do should be traced back to these 2 things.
If we followed this, we’d help someone pulled over on the side of the road, who has a flat. We’d help a friend struggling to pay a car repair. We’d be one of the first people to sign up to help at a food shelter. With the tsunami in Japan, we’d want to know how we can help instead of just talking about how bad it is.
If we followed this, we’d tell people about Jesus more.
The forgiveness and grace and love given freely in a relationship with Jesus changes lives. It changed my life. I know other lives it changes as well.
Just like how the chocolate cake is so good, I tell people about it often, a relationship with Jesus is life altering and makes me want to share Him with others. My best life is found while I seek Jesus and apply His teachings to my life. All of our lives would be better, if we lived the way Jesus wants us to live, that is, in relationship with Him.
You can have that relationship.
The person of Jesus saves lives, in more way than one. A relationship with Jesus saved me from my selfish ways and now I work on making His ways, my ways.
Which is a simple rule!
Love God with all your heart, soul and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself!
-Zack
Impact Christian Fellowship 