Back in 1987 I was enrolled at Ohio Christian University, and attending Community United Methodist Church in Circleville. The pastor at that time was Rev. Lovell. He told a story in one of his sermons that has stayed with me all these years.
There was a child physiologist that was having some work done around his home. One Saturday he had a new cement drive way put in. He watched the men work as they poured and leveled, and then floated the drive. It was a thing of beauty. After the men left, he went inside to get a cup of something to drink. I am sure it was coffee. As he was enjoying his java, his wife came in and shouted come quick. He followed her into the front room. Through his picture window he could see the neighborhood kids where playing in the cement, writing there names with small twigs, putting there hand prints in the harding surface, one was even stepping into the semi-solid.
He ran to the door and began to scream at them, his wife hot on his tail. "Don't lose your temper dear," she said, "remember you love children."
He shot back, "It is easier to love children in the abstract, that in the concert."
I know, BOOO, but I think the reason that little story stayed with me is because the statement is true, it is easier to love in the abstract that in the concrete. It is a piece of cake to say you love someone who is vague, and not real. But it is something different when a person is stand there, right in front of you, needing love. As long as it stays abstract it is a breeze, but let it be a concert person, well that is a different story.
I know for me, it is hard to love some people. I have met people who test the limits of my love. Maybe you have also. The person you work with who just seems to be hateful all the time. How about that neighbor you have tried to make friends with but have been given the cold shoulder. Maybe it is that person at school who never has a nice thing to say, and bullies everyone to get their way. Do you have a family member you see manulating others to get their own way. People you know are using the system to get free stuff, and you have to work for everything you get. It can be hard to love some people. Amen!
Did you know Jesus deal with that very issue, look at Matthew 22:34-40 and you will discover what Jesus had to say about love.
Notice what is happening in this story. The Sadducees were silenced by Jesus answers. They had come to him try and trick him, to beguile him, to deceive him. But Jesus was to smart for them. He turned it around on them. He showed how they were purposely misinterpreting the Bible. After that failure by the Sadducees, the Pharisees take their turn. The Sadducees hated the Pharisees and the Pharisees detested the Sadducees. If would look like the Republicans and Democrats having joint convention to stop someone else. You say, "that would never happen." That is how the people of Jesus day felt about the Sadducees and the Pharisees. But they did come together, which proves the old saying, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
The Pharisees send a Lawyer to ask Jesus a question, to set him up. He asked, "What is the greatest commandment?" Doesn't sound too hard does it, not till you realize there were 613 commandments of the Torah (365 negative and 248 positive.) No one was agreed on which one was the greatest, which one of the 613 is above all the others. Which one was head and shoulders above the other 612. This was trap. No matter which one he chose, it was wrong in the opinion of one of the teachers of the law. You see what happening. They felt Jesus was in a no win situation. Whatever answer he gave, they would use it to turn to the people against him.
So what does Jesus do, He quoted part of the Shema, a prayer prayed by Jews twice a day. This Lawyer had just quoted it in his prayers that morning, he would pray it again that evening. Jesus was saying, "by your praying it every day, you must agree this was the greatest of all commandments. If it were not the greatest, why would you pray it yourself every day, not once but twice a day." Jesus implies, The lawyer already knows the answer to his question, and has known it since he was a child.
So what is the greatest commandment, we say Sunday, A Great Commitment to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment will grow great people, and a great Church.
So what is the greatest commandment, Jesus tells us it has two parts. The first part is found in Matthew 22:37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
Jesus starts by quoting this very common prayer, but then he adds something to it. The prayer says, "You shall love the lord your God with all your heart (which is your inner most being), and with all your soul (which is also your whole life, how you live out what is in your heart). But then Jesus shocked them all by changing the prayer. It would be the same kind of shock you would feel if someone changed the words to the Lord's prayer. You just don't do that. But Jesus did, he added with all your mind.
I think the reason Jesus said with all your mind, was because he knew everything that flows from the heart, and through a person's life, begins in the mind. Jesus said our whole mind needs to be committed to God in love. Because what your mind is filled with will flow into your inner most being, your heart, and then out through your soul or your life.
Look at this chart. What flows into the mind--- moves to the heart (your inner being, what makes you, you)--- THEN IT COMES OUT IN YOUR LIFE.
What comes out of you in your actions, began in your mind.
So Jesus said love the Lord your God with all your mind. What goes in the mind comes out in the life.
Look up here. See this pitcher of water? It is clear, right. But if I add a drop of blue food coloring to the water, does the water change color immediately, no, it is a slow process. But the more I add the bluer it becomes. That is the way it works with our minds.
We will a little would hurt. Take porngraphy for example. Just look at a little, then a little more, then a little more, until, the mind is filled with it. Then it begins to filter into our heart, and finally it comes out in our lives.
That is why Paul could say to the Colossians, "Colossians 1:21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior."
You were enemies where, in your minds. The mind produces the evil behavior. If you want to change your life, change what you are putting into your mind.
Listen to the advice of Paul to the Philippians, "Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
So this morning, what are you filling your mind with? Do you want it to come out in your life? Would you be ashamed if Jesus saw what you are filling your mind with? You know He does see it, and he knows it will affect your heart, and your soul.
Jesus said the first part of the greatest commandment is to Love the Lord your God. But, he does not stop there, he said the second part is like the first....
Jesus understood what you love defines who you are.
Look at Matthew 22:39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Jesus understood that if we really love God, we will love the people God created. Every person we meet is created in the image of God. Every man, woman, or child carries in them the reflection of God. It may not be easy to see at first, because it may be buried under layers of gut wrenching pain, years of suffering, and the feeling of worthlessness, but the image of God is still there, hidden from view, lost in confusion, even submerged in anger; but the image of God is still there. If you could see through all those layers you would discover a person a sacred worth.
Jesus challenges us to love our neighbor, the person next door, or the person around the world from us, as we love ourselves.
Jesus is telling the Pharisees, and us, that our love for our neighbor is a good gage of our love for God. Because you cannot love God and not love His creation. What he is saying is hateful people, people who don't love others, don't love God. You say, "Wait a minute, it's that a little harsh, your don't know the people around me." True I don't, but listen to what the Bible say, "how can you love the God you don't see, if you don't love the people you do see."
Jesus understood what you love defines who you are.
So where do you begin this love experiment? Well you have a golden opportunity to show love to people we don't know, our Easter Egg Hunt. Three local churches, Grace, Gordon UMC, and St. Matthews are going together to hold an egg hunt for the community, and there are several ways you can be apart of this love experiment.
First, we need candy, if you could bring in bags of candy to fill the eggs it would be a great help.
Second, we need people to come, next Sunday evening at 5:00 to help fill eggs.
Third, we need help on the day of the hunt. It will be a Gordon Park this year on March 26 at 2:00 in the afternoon. We need people to come and help with the hunt.
Fourth we need you to help us advertise this hunt. We will be giving you cards to give out to the children you see over the next two weeks.
Imagine with me a little, dirty faced boy who comes to the hunt, all his life he has suffered isolation, rejection, and physical abuse. He is shy and backward when he arrives at the park feeling useless, worthless, without hope. But while he is there, he feels loved, accepted, even cherished. For the first time the image of God is permitted to shine through. He lives knowing he is a person of worth. God loves him, and so do the people at this hunt.
Dr. Moody told about a little boy who walked into his church in Chicago in the with the legs of his pants frozen stiff, and ice forming on his hat less head. Moody asked the little guy where he lived. He found out the little man had braved the winter cold for 12 city blocks, and he had passed six other churches in his trip. As Moody rubbed his frost bit hands to restore feeling in them, he asked, "Why did you come all the way here, you could have stopped at any of the churches on the way." The little boys beat red face turn up to Moody and said, "I did want to go there, I came here, cause you know how to love a fella here."
You know how to love a fella here, may that be said of us. Amen.
