So the Pharisees and Sadducees, the ‘powers that be’, are still trying to catch Jesus out.

Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?

How sad that they didn’t really want to know the answer, for it might have got them out of their mindset of continually trying to trip others up!

For Jesus tells them,

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

What matters is loving God.

Not looking over your shoulder; not sifting through the minutiae of other people’s lives to see if they are “doing the right thing” (in your opinion of course);  not  thinking up difficult obstacles to stop people truly meeting with God, bringing freedom to people; not binding them in ridiculous laws.

Just loving God.  Focussing on him.  Thinking of all he has done, and responding to it.

And focussing on God, will bring about only one action:

‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’

Loving God will be the basis for living that out in love of others – and love of ourselves.

And loving others, and ourselves through the eyes of loving God.  So seeing what he sees, not what we think we see.

It can be hard to love others, but it can be so much harder to love ourselves…

It can be hard to love others unless we can love ourselves – and accept the love that God has for us – and for them.

God’s whole reason is love.

He pours out his love for us, and in him we discover the true meaning of love.  Without love, we miss the whole meaning of what wants to do, in us and through us.  Everything he does and says hangs on love.

Take some time to reflect on the depth of God’s love for you, and respond to him.

Perhaps this video might help