Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
When the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test Him: “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to them, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and Prophets depend on these two commands.”
– Matthew 22:34-40
Devotion
Despite their sneaky tactics, Jesus finds a way to communicate spiritual truth to the Pharisees in this account. They were using this question to trap Jesus. Instead He uses this as an opportunity to convey very important spiritual truths. In these two commands, He summarizes the Ten Commandments that were given to Moses on Mt. Sinai (see Exodus 20). He tells the religious leaders that they must “love” or “value” God above all else. Then He tells them that they must “love” or “value” others as they would themselves.
The Big Question
What does it mean to “love” God above all else? What does it mean to “love” your neighbor as yourself? Are we supposed to “love” ourselves? What does this mean? Does equating the word “love” with “value” bring clarity to these commands? Where does our worth or value come from (see Genesis 1:26)? Does this change the way you view yourself?
Conclude your time in prayer and silence, reflecting on what God revealed to you today.