the greatest commandment is this: “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” – Matthew 22:37, Jesus quoting the Shema from Deuteronomy 6:4-5

and though they didn’t ask, he added to their question, saying, “the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself,” also an old testament command from Leviticus 19:18

the question is, how is the second “like” the first?

it’s like this: loving people is loving god. loving god is made evident through loving people. loving god cannot exist without loving people; that’s called being a pharisee. loving god provokes (like a reflex) loving people.

i have always taught it this way: “the second is like the first because the first is lived out through the second.”

good post, my friend.

rock on,
DEREK