Matthew 22:37-40

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Personal Challenge

My former, retired priest used to often tell me that one of this challenges with his flock was their constant request for a set of rules to live their lives by. As humans we are constantly looking for that perfect checklist to use so that we can earn our way Into heaven. First of all, there is no earning our way into God’s grace. It is a free gift that only He can give. Secondly, a checklist becomes a shortcut, a crutch, and often a measuring stick used to lord it over our brothers and sisters. How are you doing keeping the fast? How many prayers did you say today? How many services have you come to (regardless of how many people you have cut in front of to get there? Our Old Testament Jewish forefathers were given 10 commandments, which later evolved into over 600 rules and laws. We are doing the same with the teachings of our Lord, the Apostles, and the early church fathers, with our many traditions that are viewed as sacraments. Jesus gave us two commandments to live our lives by. Yes? Only two! If we live by these two commandments, we will be godly, righteous people. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself. There is nothing more needed than these two commandments. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner, and teach me to love your way?

Matthew 22:31-32

But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

Encouraging Words

When we say that we love God and put our hope in Him, what are we really doing? We are proclaiming that our God is a living God that is going to keep us alive forever. It is taught by many fathers of the Orthodox church that we sin because we fear death. We fear the fact that our lives will end so we do whatever we can to get the most out of this life. During our Pascha (Easter) celebration, we proclaim over and over again, “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and on those in the tombs bestowing life!” This is where we put our hope when we choose to follow Him. He has promised us that He is victorious over the death of us all that was ushered in by Adam and Eve and that He will give us life. Glory be to God!

Matthew 19:21

Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

Personal Challenge

It always amazes me how those who proclaim the prosperity gospel skip past all the teachings of Christ that tell us just the opposite. Here He clearly tells the rich young man to give away all of his wealth in order to gain the treasure awaiting him in heaven. He tells us elsewhere not to put our faith in the wealth of this world because we cannot serve two masters, wealth and God. It is not that He is against having wealth here on earth. He is against putting it above the needs of others. He is against making it our God. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Matthew 18:20

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.

Personal challenge

As followers of Christ, we should be doing all things in His name. He should be the center of every thought, word, action, or desire. This is a hard thing to accomplish, but is a worthy goal for all of us to pursue. Jesus promises us that when more than one of us gets together, people who are pursuing Christ in this manor, then He will be there with us. Just as the two men who were walking on the road to Emmaus, talking about Jesus, mourning His death, cherishing their memories, He appeared and spent time with them. So too, can we have Him with us. Glory be to God!

Matthew 18:12-14

What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Encouraging Words

Have you ever been separated from the group that you were with? It can be very disconcerting to feel like you are all alone and the rest of the group has moved on without you. Then all of a sudden they show up explaining that they stopped what they were doing to find you. What a sense of joy that produces. We will never be totally lost and separated from Jesus. He will always come for us because He loves us and wants us to be back in the fold. He will rescue us and bring us back home. Glory be to God!