Gotcha
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:37-39
Insight
"Do you know what time it is?" my dad asked a teenaged me.
I had attempted, in vain, to quietly make my way to my room after coming home passed my curfew. Was it a trick question? Didn't he know the time? Didn't he know I knew? Frozen in place, feeling like a guilty witness in one of those crime dramas my mom enjoyed so much, I kept my mouth shut for fear of worsening my predicament.
On talk shows, during television interviews, and in courtrooms across the nation, questions are asked, despite the answer being known, obvious or implied, with the sole purpose of making a point. We know these questions as rhetorical, as being leading or loaded, and clearly having a motive. Like a game of "gotcha," these questions are designed to serve an agenda for the questioner. Their intent is to ensnare rather than to solicit real information, thought, or opinion.
In Matthew 22, we see one of the many times the Pharisees came at Jesus with a question, attempting to trap Him in His words. The Pharisees didn’t really want an answer. They wanted to turn the crowds against Jesus, as He was becoming widely known.
But Jesus never responded the way they expected. In Matthew 22:35-36, we read, "One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question. Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” In His response, Jesus demonstrates His unsurpassed knowledge of Scripture, silencing the Pharisees and captivating the crowds. He succinctly outlines the basis of the life God has called us to live.
The Ten Commandments, the very foundation of Jewish ethics, behavior, and responsibility, begin by outlining our relationship with God, and then our relationship with other people. So, the two commandments Jesus speaks of, loving God and loving our neighbors, summarizes all the laws and commands in Scripture. Jesus presents a very clear, simple response to a difficult question.
Love God with all that we are, heart, soul, mind, and strength. This should have the highest place, rather than trying to check boxes on a list of laws we can never hope to manage. Without love for God, observance of law is but empty expression. We may appear virtuous, yet our motives may be skewed. Jesus brilliantly & compassionately helps us understand that real love, what our hearts ache for, yearn for, but often cannot articulate, comes first from loving God.
The very essence of God is love. Loving God loyally fills us with His love and inspires us to love others in kind. This is the heart of the Gospel message. God’s love, demonstrated in Jesus, keeps the covenant on our behalf, doing what we could not do for ourselves, no matter how many laws we institute or how much expertise we develop.
We praise and love God, with hearts full of gratitude. And because of what Jesus has done for us, we extend that same love, compassion, and grace to those around us. Every aspect of our lives is shaped by this reality.
Pastor Rick Warren reminds us, “God is love. He didn’t need us. But he wanted us. And that is the most amazing thing.” God’s love pursues us. It shapes us and changes us if we'll let it. Loving Him first, with all that we are, fills us in ways we could not imagine. It energizes us to love others with a depth & breadth we simply could not accomplish on our own. For all of us, His love is the answer to all our questions. No tricks.
Reflection
Consider the ways God’s love has transformed your life. What do your relationships look like because of this? In what ways can you go further?
Prayer
Father, Your love, demonstrated in Jesus, changes everything for us. It brings clarity to confusion and answers the deepest longings of our hearts. We are so grateful for your persistent, pervasive love. Thank you for reminding us that it is not what we do, but who You are that guides our lives, forges our identity, and brings harmony to our world. Help us to receive Your love abundantly, and shower it on those around us. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Port City writer Paula Argenio wrote today’s devotional.
