Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 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. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Mathew 22:35-39
These verses are very meaningful to me during this season of my life. I call them the Bible’s “Executive Summary.” I have reviewed many reports over the course of my career and have become reliant on the concise but meaty Executive Summary. Easy to read but hard to write…what is the bottom line of this report? What is the intent? What is the main thing that I need to know? Later I can read the report in its entirety, but the Executive Summary has always provided me with the answers to these questions now. Both brilliant and handy!
Like many of you I have read the Bible cover to cover, much like a novel. As part of my morning devotional reading I’ve discovered the Bible is a wonderful read, but it can be dense and hard to follow. Also, it usually takes me 1-2 years to complete it all the way through. There is so much context and majestic beauty but it’s hard for me to keep it all straight, especially as I am marching through it front to back.
Why can’t there just be an Executive Summary to help me better understand? But wait, there is! For me, the verses above sum up the essence, the foundation of the whole Bible. Once I discovered these verses on loving God and neighbor, I began to see one or both of these commandments in every book and lesson in the Bible. They are beautifully woven throughout, and now I see them all the time.
I am trying to implement these commandments in my life, and have found it as daunting a task as sitting down and reading the whole Bible. I have prayed each morning for me to love God in each and every moment of that day with all my heart/soul/strength, and to also love those around me more than myself. Simple, right? Actually not at all!
I now notice I need frequent reminders throughout the day and I fail more often than not. Each morning I now turn this over to God by saying “Please God help me to see the world today as you see it, and to love those around me as you love them.” This simple prayer has changed my approach to my day in so many ways, and I am so pleased and humbled that Jesus provided us with an Executive Summary of the Bible!
In Christ,
Chris
