Today’s entry is excerpted from New Hearts Helping New Hearts. A devotional to be published in 2016
When the accusers hear Jesus speak in Matthew 22:22, they marvel, and go their way. When the king in the parable of the wedding feast calls to those invited to the feast they take it lightly (verse 5) and go their way.
Later in that same parable the king asks a guest how he came to the wedding without a wedding garment and the guest is speechless. Our response to the still small voice of God speaks louder than words. The Pharisees were unable to answer Him a word and from that day on no one dared to question Him anymore…until we came along. Our fondest prayer is, “Why me, why not me, why this, why not that?”
Jesus says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”
It’s the word ‘all’ that challenges. The part of our heart, soul, and mind more concerned with a favorable result than a favored relationship is the sticking part.
Jesus is willing to unloose our tongue from the roof of our mouth. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
We tend to read this as a commandment since He identifies it as such, but what if it was also a prediction, a prophecy? You shall love. It’s going to happen, and when it does, let the redeemed say so.
I’ll go first, “I love you”.
