The FaithOfJesus2 Daily Devotional

Focus:

kjv@Revelation:14:12 @ Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

( FaithOfJesus thread begun by rRandyP )

Today's Verse:

kjv@Matthew:22:34-40

kjv@Matthew:22:34 @ But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.

kjv@Matthew:22:35 @ Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

kjv@Matthew:22:36 @ Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

kjv@Matthew:22:37 @ Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

kjv@Matthew:22:38 @ This is the first and great commandment.

kjv@Matthew:22:39 @ And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

kjv@Matthew:22:40 @ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Today's notes: Attack of the Scribe - Greatest Law

Context:

Before - Attack of the Sadducee - Resurrection
After - LORD said unto my Lord

What is man believing/doing?:

tempting Jesus again, this time a Scribe of the Pharisees on points of the law

What is making man to believe/do as he is doing?:

word that the Sadducce attempt had been silenced

Notes:

dict:all love dict:all law dict:all truth

How could two men take a fairly simple hinged set of commands and end at two opposite conclusions of it? The scribe would begin at the entry point that the law (and to a nominal concern the prophets) is the consummate fulfillment of this Love; fulfill all the law and you have therein fulfilled all love. The other approach is from the entry point of the law having not ever been nor ever now being fulfilled outside of Christ; the law making offense known, the prophets making both God's persistent insistence and His acceptable remedy Christ Jesus known, love then on our part being our response to His much greater Love. One doorway is hinged inside out the other outside in, one being exited by man the other entered by Jesus.

A third more populated direction exists, that of by simply loving whomever and whatsoever in whatever way personally afforded, therein is the intent of the law is fulfilled (or need for bypassed). Jesus though was careful to include "and the prophets" to the indication of fulfillment. When did the prophets ever say "just get along with everybody", "just desire happy thoughts for all people", "peace hugs and kisses" or "tolerance above all"? They never did. They always pointed to Christ and His love. This doorway doesn't even hang on a hinge because it only needs to stand propped up against one's easily purchased/constructed self justification.

Key Messages:

What does this say about our present condition?

True love, which is heavily reliant on truth, is what everyone claims themselves to have, but without absolute truth there is no observable measure to gauge such claims by. If God is nebulous, so then is heart/soul/mind, so then is neighbor, so then is commandment, so then is love, so then are we too.
Perception in this state is every bit of truth. The perception of actual truth is limited by the expectation of what truth is to look like. The expectation of truth is typically simpleminded and self constructed so as to be easy prey for skilled meddlers.

Further Resources:

Comment Board:Matthew:22:34-40
index:FAITHOFJESUSDEVOTION - Devotional Index
strkjv@Matthew:22:34-40 rwp@Matthew:22:34-40 mhcc@Matthew:22:34-40
FaithOfJesus2 - Devotion Index

< Matthew:22:23-33

Matthew:22:41-46 >