The Greatest Commandment

Imagine a world where love was the foundation of every decision, every action, and every interaction. Picture a community where people went out of their way to care for one another…not because they had to, but because they wanted to. Let me share a story to help us see this:

There was a young boy named Ethan who had a rare illness requiring extensive medical care. His neighbor, a man named Mr. Andrews, wasn’t wealthy or famous. But every single week, he mowed Ethan’s family’s lawn, brought them meals, and helped them with household repairs. When someone asked him why, he simply said, "Because that’s what love does." Mr. Andrews was living out what Jesus called the greatest commandment.

Today, we’re going to look at what it means to love God with everything we have and to love others as ourselves. These two commands aren’t merely suggestions … they’re the foundation of what it means to follow Jesus.

1. Loving God Fully

Jesus said in Matthew 22:37, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

This commandment is all-encompassing. Loving God isn’t just about a feeling; Loving God is about total devotion.

Have you ever thought about Olympic athletes? They dedicate their entire lives to their sport. They wake up early, they train for hours and stick to strict diets. Why? Why do they do it? Because they’re passionate about their goal. Loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind is very similar. Because it’s about giving Him our very best every single day.

Sometimes we need to ask ourselves: Is God truly first in my life? Does my time, my priorities, and my choices reflect my love for Him? Because loving God fully means surrendering everything to Him … our plans, our dreams, our resources, and our hearts.

2. Loving Others as Yourself

Jesus goes on to say in verse 39, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Basically, He is saying treat others with the same respect, care and the same compassion that we want for ourselves.

Ya’ll remember a song called “The Chain of Love” by Clay Walker? It starts out with a guy named Joe who’s driving home in an old wore out Pontiac, when he notices a lady, whose Mercedes-Benz is stopped on the side of the road with a flat tire. So, Joe stops and changes the tire for her, and when she tries to pay him, Joe tells her that people have helped him just like he’s helping her and to just continue "the chain of love" and pay it forward.

In the second verse of the song, the lady stopped at a small café, and she notices that her waitress looks about 8 months pregnant and seems exhausted. After paying the waitress with a $100 bill, the lady leaves behind a note for the waitress on a napkin leaving the waitress all the change. Written on the napkin is the same request that Joe had in the first chorus of the song, to Pay it forward and "continue the chain of love".

The formula for loving others is simple… it’s as simple as putting their needs ahead of our own. It’s stepping into their world and showing them compassion, the same way that Jesus did for us.

In 1 John 4:20-21, we’re reminded, “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”

Loving others is just the natural overflow of loving God.

Every day we need to look for opportunities to love others intentionally. Maybe it’s forgiving someone who hurt you, maybe helping a neighbor in need, or maybe it’s just listening to someone who feels unheard, love needs to be a priority in our life.

3. Jesus as the Model of Perfect Love

If you're wondering what this kind of love looks like, look to Jesus, He is the perfect example. His life, His death, and His resurrection show us what it means to love God and others fully.

Think about when Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. The King of Kings knelt down to serve His followers … including Judas, the one who would betray Him. That’s what you call radical love. But it didn’t end there…He went to the cross, and died for our sins, so that we could experience the fullness of God’s love.

Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus didn’t just talk about love; He lived it… even when it cost Him everything.

We need to ask ourselves: How can I follow the example of Jesus? How can I humble myself to serve others and reflect His love?