Welcome to "Tuesday Morning"—constantly seeking words of encouragement and affirmation designed for Christians everywhere.

 

Charles H. Spurgeon told the story about a trip he took into the country to enjoy the sights and smells of farm life. He noticed an unusual weather vane mounted on a farmer's barn. The vane pictured a large arrow, on the side of which were the words, "God is Love." Curious about what it meant, Spurgeon turned in at the gate and went searching for the farmer. Finally connecting with him, Spurgeon asked, "What do you mean by that? Do you think God's love is changeable; that it veers about as that arrow turns in the wind?" The farmer replied, "Oh, no! I mean that whichever way the wind blows, God is still love."

 

If that is true, how should Christians go about demonstrating their love of God to Him and to others? This week's "Tuesday Morning" tries to answer that question. It is attached below. It is entitled, "Still the Greatest Commandment." Read on whenever you are ready to show your love to someone who desperately needs someone to love them. I believe you will be glad you did.

 

Tom Barnard

A Senior Encourager

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Still the Greatest Commandment

Tom Barnard

 

n Matthew 22:34, a Pharisee asked Jesus, “Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 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.”  Then Jesus slipped in an edit. He said, “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

 

Help me understand this.Jesus told the Pharisee that if he were to list all the Law and the Prophets, these two commandments would be at the top of the list. In fact, Jesus said that everything in the Law and the Prophets hangs on these two commandments, at least in terms of importance. Does this mean that loving God and loving others is more important than obeying the Ten Commandments? If so, Moses, step down. Isaiah, step down. Major Prophets, step down. Minor Prophets, step down. Love, step up!

 

In 1972 I was appointed dean of students at a Christian College in Oklahoma. One of my colleagues was a resident director for one of our men’s dormitories. At that time he was a graduate student in philosophy at a major university and was very bright. I was new in my position, and he and I often discussed the student conduct code at our school—rules that had remained relatively unchanged for at least 15 years. To say that our student guidelines were dated is an understatement. But that was the way things were in 1972.

 

American involvement in the Viet Nam War had reached a peak in 1968, but the impact of the war on college and university campuses was still being felt four years later. While thousands of young Americans were dying each year in Nam, schools like ours were dealing with issues like the length of a guy’s hair and whether or not we could show Hollywood motion pictures on campus.

 

One day my colleague said he had a new thought about campus regulations. He said, “Tom, I know how to solve our problem. Let’s eliminate the student handbook completely.” I replied, “Right.” “No,” he said. “We can replace it with a biblical guideline that will apply to every kind of student behavior.” That got my attention. I asked him where he got the idea. “St Augustine,” he said. “Good source,” I replied. "And what did Augustine say?" He said, “Love God and do whatever you want.”

 

I wonder if Augustine might have thought differently if he were serving as a dean of students at a co-ed college or university in the 21^st Century. But his point was a good one. If people acted from hearts that loved God and loved others, our nation and world would be entirely different places than they are now.

 

Jesus knew that in a matter of hours his disciples would be leaderless. His mind was focused on Calvary. Their minds were focused on other things, like a new kingdom on earth where Jesus would reign as David had reigned centuries earlier. Jesus knew that his men would face disappointment and loss. He knew that the one thing that could hold them steady was a genuine love for God and a love for each other. Jesus believed this so deeply that he left them with a command. Here is how John remembered it:

 

“So now I am giving you a new commandment:  Love each other. Just as I

have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another

will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

(John 13:34, 35 NLT)

 

Jesus did not say, “Love me as much as you love each other.” And he did not say, “Love each other as much as you love me.” He said, “Love each other as much as I love you.” Some have called this the Impossible Commandment. They are right, of course. Without God’s love dwelling in our hearts, we cannot love others as in the same way that Jesus loves us. And how does God’s love dwell in our hearts? Through the power of the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Christ. And how do we receive that Spirit? Through faith! Jesus was right: Loving God and loving each other is still the Greatest Commandment.