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And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”
And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
-Luke 10:25-28
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"What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" the man asked.
Jesus' answer was scandalously simple.
You. Shall. Love.
That was it. The million dollar answer to the million dollar question.
You can almost hear the pharasaical protestation:
What about the "do's and don'ts"? The "Thou Shalls" and "Thou Shall Nots"? Repentance and Right Living? Holiness and Good Deeds?
But Jesus didn't go there. He simply said,
Love
and that said it all.
Love God and Love each other. Do this and you will Live.
We Love, We Live.
It's that simple.
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"God is Love"
1 John 4:8
"God is Love"
1 John 4:8
Girlfriend, I have had you on my mind and I should have written you but I have missed you and so glad you came over for a visit this morning.....
ReplyDeleteYour words above are beautiful and we should pay more attention to the simplity of the gospel...Our lives would be much easier if we would just love.....Beautful picture that you chose to go with your words....
Take care sweet girl and have a great weekend...
Hugs and Hugs
Ah, the Shema. So much said in so few words. It reminds me of the line in The Alchemist that went something like this:
ReplyDeleteQ: "Why do we need all these lines?"
A: "So we can understand these few words."
LOVE is life....that has been
ReplyDeleteringing in my heart like a bell.
I love the simplicity.
I love the aliveness.
I love how we're on such
parallel paths
with such an artful shepherd
who loves us...all the bits
of us.
Love, love, love,
Jennifer
Oh Nancy, your words *are* the hug! Hugs back atcha : )
ReplyDeleteLove this, Courtney! And love that book! An old dear friend gave that to me as a gift about 10 years ago and I remember being moved by the pearls on the pages...The one you pulled out here takes the cake.....love it love it love it....
ReplyDelete(no pun intended) ; )
Thanks for this reminder, Jennifer...that we are loved....Your words triggered a sweet little domino effect of thought for me here.....
ReplyDeleteThe One Who asks us to "love with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind" loves us in precisely the same way, with all His heart, with all His soul, with all His strength, with all His mind and thoughts.......
wow........WOW!!!!!!
You are a beautiful mirror, my friend...has anyone told you that lately?
Wishing us all an AWESOME lovelife!!!!!
; )
simple, yet challenging every day to live out. :)
ReplyDelete...further confirmation that it is, indeed, "the simple things."
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder, H.
D
As I read, I started humming a favorite Superchick song of mine....
ReplyDeleteWe live, we love,
we forgive and never give up
Cause the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love...
Thanks for the timely reminder, as always. You are such a blessing. ♥
Linda
You're tellin me, Janean...we'll have to think good thoughts at eachother! ; )
ReplyDeleteHey D....
ReplyDeleteyeah...the simple things, the little things.....funny how it's the *little* things that make up the *big* picture.....
Cool piecing some of it together with you, D....Thankful for your pieces.....
~*
Sweet, Linda.....you can sing to me anytime : )
ReplyDeleteHi Hindsfeet! Haven't been here in a while but I stopped in & read your last three posts today & was struck by how they all seem to be inter-related & it all reminded me of one of my posts from a while back along very similar lines that I'd love to share w/ you: http://yadayadah.blogspot.com/2009/10/meeting-madame-butterfly-httpusers.html
ReplyDeleteBTW - I'm adding you to the lists of blogs I follow. Blessings.
yes, simple and not so simple at the same time. Loving is not always easy. but praise God, we are not left to do it in our own strength.
ReplyDeleteit's so good to see you back!! hope you are doing well!!
Blessings and hugs!