In the Gospel this week we hear about some Pharisees. Pharisees are people who study the Word of God. The Pharisees want to know more about Jesus. He does not speak like anyone else they know. So they have questions for him. The Pharisees know that Jesus knows the Word of God, so they ask him, which part of the Word of God is the MOST important to him.
Jesus tells them, this part:
‘You shall love the Lord your God’
This part of the Word of God seems to have been written about Jesus, because Jesus does this. Jesus loves the Lord with his WHOLE self,
with his little baby finger,
with the tip of his big toe,
with his belly, with his arms, with his legs...
All of his thinking,
all of his dreaming–
his whole self loves God.
As he thinks about this, Jesus remembers something more written about him, too:
‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’
We know Jesus loves this way. We hear this love when Jesus talks about the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. All that the Good Shepherd has, he gives to the sheep. He loves that way. He loves that much.
We might ask if, "Love the Lord your God," is written about anyone else.
Does anyone else love God the way Jesus loves God?
Is Jesus the only one who loves God?
Or does the Word of God speak about even more people?
Who else loves the Lord our God?
