What yardstick should we use to measure how well we’ve met The Greatest Commandment? In All the Alls in The Greatest Commandment, we concluded that The Greatest Commandment demands that we love God more than we love anyone or anything. In The Neighbour in The Greatest Commandment, we concluded that The Greatest Commandment demands that we love all of the worst of God’s children.
Jesus summarized The Greatest Commandment in less than four dozen words. As such, it is easy to remember but difficult to discern all He demands of us. Fortunately, Jesus explained The Greatest Commandment in numerous teachings. And, if you have concluded on your own, or after pursuing the thinking in How Can a Man be God, that Jesus was God Incarnate, you know His teachings are God’s teachings. Do you think we’d better listen up?
In Matt 5: 21-24, Jesus clarifies that loving our neighbour must include reconciliation for our failings, even those as simple as anger and insults. In Matt 5: 27-30, He teaches we must rid ourself of lust, replacing it with selfless love. In Matt 5: 38-32, He insists we must not retaliate no matter what the aggravation. In Matt 6: 14-15, He commands that we forgive others without reservation. In Matt 7: 1-5, Jesus tells us to refrain from judging others’ failures and, instead, to focus on correcting our failures. In Matt 5: 43-48, He teaches that we must love enemies and persecutors no matter how great the persecution or who it affects. Most demanding, He insists our love of our neighbour must be perfect – selfless and
unconditional – as is that of God, our Father.
Most of us think we are pretty good people and that the promise of an eternal life of love with our creator awaits us at the moment of our death. Most of us are good people by our yardstick. But how would you and I stack up against the yardstick that Jesus is itemizing?
Most of our lives are struggles to acquire what we need – food, shelter, good health – our lists are long. In Matt 6: 31-34, Jesus teaches us that our priority has to be to seek a loving relationship with our creator, while we are dealing with life on Earth. Most of us spend our lives focused on making enough money to support ourselves in our retirement years and to provide an inheritance for our children and families. In Matt 6: 19-21, 24, Jesus urges us to prepare ourselves to attain the treasures of heaven – an intimate relationship with our creator – rather than directing all of our energies to accumulating wealth. In Matt 7: 7-12, Jesus teaches that our first step must be to ask God’s help in approaching the perfection that an intimate relationship with Him in heaven demands. That done, seek everywhere and every day to inform yourself how you must prepare on earth. Finally, continually knock (pray) to assert your acceptance of God’s invitation and what it demands of you. In Matt 7: 21-27, Jesus teaches that we must do all of these things He demands of us. Actions speak louder than words. In Matt 10: 37-39, as we concluded in All the Alls in The Greatest Commandment, He teaches us we must love God more than the dearest person in our lives. In Matt 7: 13-14, Jesus warns us that we must persevere in doing our absolute best to apply all His teachings to our pursuit of the narrow door that leads to eternal life.
Jesus leaves no stone unturned to teach us the yardstick He will use at the end of our earthly lives.
What about you? Can you maintain the complacency you need to remain satisfied with your yardstick?
Del H. Smith conducts research into life’s meaning and is the award-winning author of the Amazon Best Seller. Discovering Life’s Purpose.