When Jesus was spreading the gospel through different places, there were people who loved Him, and others who did not and would always challenge His authority with questions. One time, the Pharisees, who did not agree with Jesus, decided to ask Him a question after they heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, who were another group of people who did not like Jesus very much. One of the Pharisees, who was an expert in religious law, tried to trap Jesus with a question asking which one of the commandments was the most important. Then, as always, Jesus answered very wisely and truthfully and told them that the greatest commandment was to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind, and the second was equally important… Love your neighbor as yourself. He told them that the entire law and works of the prophets were based on these two commandments.

These two commandments give us very clear instructions on what we need to do. If we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, then we learn to love our neighbor as ourselves. We know that God is love, so the closer we are to Him, the more we will reflect His love and personality to others (1 John 4:8, 19-21). Although it can be hard for us to love everyone, especially those who have wronged us, treating others unkindly is not an option as a follower of Christ. We are to love and forgive others just as Christ has loved and forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32, 1 Corinthians 13:4). This is the best way we can show others who God is!

Suggested prayer: Lord, thank you for always loving me. Please help me love you more than anything else and teach me how to put you first in my life. Father, teach me how to love others and forgive them just as you do to me, and help me not to hold grudges against people and to let go of any anger in my heart. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

1.    Matthew 22:37-39 (NLT).

Today’s Encounter was written by: Gianna B.