January 5 Live Loved

Luke 10:26-29 “What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you read it?” 27 The expert in the law answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
 
BE mindful the expert in the law had asked Jesus, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25) Jesus then began his answer with a question, “What is written in the Law?” Good teachers often ask good questions to first understand what a student knows. Good teaching is growing a student’s knowledge into personal understanding. Jesus’ lesson is to help the expert in the law grow from knowing God’s law in his mind to living God’s law in his heart.
   The expert then correctly answered Jesus’ question, quoting a passage from Deuteronomy. This is one of the Bible’s five Law Books. Experts in the law such as the Pharisees were often able to memorize all five law books – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy – called the Torah. Yes, the expert knew the words.
   And he would have known that seven times in Deuteronomy Moses commanded his people to love God. See, for example, Deuteronomy 30:16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
   The law proclaims that loving God leads to life. See the connection with “love the Lord” and “you will live and increase”. This points us to the foundational, active love God commands. Our love is not to be a memorization of words but an activation of the Word. Through the law, we become aware of God’s character and grow into the knowledge of our Father in Heaven. The law defines how completely God loves us as he gives order to every aspect of our lives. More and more, as we live in this holy order, we live in love with him.
   You can see this in Deuteronomy ‘s life blessing promise. This promise does not promise physical riches; nor, does God say we’ll never have diseases or problems. Certainly physical death will not disappear because we love God. But as we love God, we will experience the blessing of a personal love relationship with our Creator. Obeying God’s law is loving who God is Trusting his law and growing our obedience offers us peace and quiet to our souls. Your love for God grows to become the cornerstone of all your relationships. Loving God, you will look beyond the physical challenges and gratefully gaze into God’s eternal life promise.
   Thus, Jesus points to the “love law” and directs his impromptu student to eternal life. Remember, the man asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” When the Teacher said, “Do this and you will live.” Jesus extended the law’s physical life promise from Deuteronomy into the eternal New Testament (Promise) of grace. 
   The expert in the law asked the Expert Law Giver the eternal life question. Jesus, the Teacher, instructs all his students throughout all time with the eternal answer. In your heart, love God. Extend your love to your neighbors. Live loved eternally.
 
Prayer: I love you, Lord. I pray I love my neighbors as I love myself. I lift my heart to worship you. Amen.