“One of the scribes came up and… asked him, ‘Which commandment is the most important of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The most important is, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.'” Mark 12:28-31
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another… If we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us… We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:7-12,19
The basis and source of love is God. When asked the greatest commandment, Jesus answered with the Shema, a summons to listen, take seriously, and stake our claim in God as one. ‘Pledge your faith in the one God of love, and you will understand and be able to fulfill the command.’ This God who in love saves then commands His people to love Him and others as a rightful outflow.
Love poured in becomes love poured out as we open ourselves to the Spirit’s gift. The more we understand and experience God’s love, the greater will be its force through us to others, a dynamic, living expression of our oneness and filling with Christ. Does this flow describe our ongoing practice? (John 13:34-35; 15:12; Galatians 5:22)
For love to run its course in and through us, we must remember Calvary, and claim its efficacy for our souls. Filling daily with God’s Spirit, and determining to obey these ‘greatest’ commands assures that outflow be available, ready to tap with an act of will. We then go forth, ready to spread His love abroad in the world as He has in our hearts. (Romans 5:5)
How steeped am I in the love of God? How melodious, how constant, how robust is its flow through me? Who needs a douse of Christ’s refreshing, encouraging, comforting love today, and what will I do about it?
Heart of your heart,
Apple of your eye,
In love You choose us
For intimacy.
With love You seek
And save and fill
Empowering us
To do Your will
Please turn my mind
To reciprocate love’s way
that I in you resting
Would love more today
In impulse and kindness,
In zeal and in power,
Make my heart overflow
Hour after hour
Keep filling my senses,
Your pulse be my own,
Your heartbeat my rhythm
My heart’s love Your throne
So Your love flows through me
To all whom I see,
That they would know Christ’s love
Is living in me
Lord, run Your course of redeeming love through me where You will.
As the rain and snow 