Deuteronomy 13-15; Mark 12:28-44
What’s it all about for you? Why follow God the particular way you do? What guideline determines how you schedule your day? Why do you spend your money the way that you do? Why do you live the life that you live?
There’s a lot of churchy stuff I’ve done in my life. A lot of not-churchy-at-all stuff, too. And I’ve done it for all sorts of reasons–attention, assuage my own sense of self-worth, guilt. You get the point.
When Jesus is quizzed by religious to teacher to sum up the Torah–Moses’s five books, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy–he boils it all down to two statements.
Love God. Love neighbor.
This is the engine that drives the Christian life. No substitute. No alternative. Simple and plain.
Why do get up in the morning? Why do you breathe? Why do you choose any of the choices you make? Is it to love God and neighbor more?
Because nothing trumps that.
Fiftyeight 