The Whole Gospel-In Two Sentences

   I recently re-read Matthew 22:34-40 in preparation for a sermon. I felt a sense of amazement when I realized how simple and obvious Jesus’ answer to the Pharisee’s question was. The lawyer had asked, “Jesus, of all the 613 commandments, rules, and regulations, which one is the most important?” And Jesus reached back into the Torah, which the lawyer knew by heart, and quoted from Deuteronomy and Leviticus. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your soul. And you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

      Jesus went on to say that on these two commandments hang all those hundreds of rules. These two must be carried out together. They are like hinges on a door. These are not open to debate, nor are they are optional for a disciple of Jesus Christ.

      Then I began to think. What does it look like for me to love God with all my heart, soul, and mind? Most of us have experienced deep, sincere love with a spouse, our children, grandchildren, family members, and friends. We develop such a strong relationship with them that we want to spend time with them, talk with them, think about them, and consider what we can do for them to please them in the name of unconditional love. We are willing to give all of our self for them and to them. That’s the kind of relationship that Jesus says we must have with God. We must be willing to give every thing to God, holding nothing back. Jesus said, “Give up your self, pick up your cross, and follow me.” A self-giving love back to God.

      Then Jesus said, “There is another commandment, another hinge for your door. ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Now just what does that mean? Who is my neighbor? My neighbor is anyone who has a need, whether that need is big or small, regardless of social, ethic, economic status, or even that person’s appearance or how they got into the situation they are in.

      Jesus means taking care of others as much as we take care of our selves, attending to the needs of others as much as we attend to our wants and needs, making others comfortable as much as we are comfortable. It means taking care of the beat-up people who we see around us.

            What good is your door without the two hinges? It needs both hinges to work properly. Jesus said: “Do these and you shall find life; you shall begin to really live.” He didn’t say: memorize them, recite them, or think about them. He said: “Do these and you shall finally begin to live a life worth living.” This is the way to a holy sanctified life, a life patterned after Jesus. The whole Gospel-in two sentences.

Rev. Tim McConnell, Peachtree UMC, October 30, 2011