A Valentine Quiet Time

Happy Valentine's Day!

Well, I wanting to post this on Valentine's Day, but... it didn't happen. I didn't even have a QT on V-Day, either, so how awful am I? Again, my dependency on this computer to have my QTs is mesmerizing. I have to have a computer to have a QT. I feel rather shallow, but at least I know where I am in this regard. So, if I didn't post it then, well, I just have a belated Valentine Day post and 'get 'er done' now.

I found this little heart and arrow thing... I thought it would be a bit cool to have it on here. Anyway, I'll simply say that my Valentine's Day was pretty cool. My wife and I didn't celebrate on V-Day, but we celebrated over the weekend. I picked up a Friends (Season 5) for my wife and Mackenzie got a Thomas DVD (Season 1) from his parents. Our little family moved to North Richland Hills, TX (both a return to NRH for both myself and my wife, albeit for me I was only here for roughly two months the first time). My wife has picked up a armband thing for my MP3 player so that when I go bike-riding, I will be able to take that with me. I will be leaving my paper-route job in a few more weeks. I haven't told my new boss the news yet, I am a little scared to do so, since he's a great employer to work for... the reason for me leaving doesn't have anything to do with the grumbling co-workers, or the fact that my old boss left and died (Andy Burns, RIP), it has to do with my personal health concerns and the deteration of my left leg. Again, the spellcheck isn't working and I tinhk Iv'e mpselisld a few tnighs. Pretty Weird, huh?

Well... let's get to work.

Mark 12:28-34
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

Matthew 22:34-40

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 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.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

And, when I read this, even though I know what the Bible says... I still wonder, what does it mean to love your neighbor?

Luke 10:25-37

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

The same story, told three different ways, from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. And Luke expands on the story to define what a "neighbor" is Biblically. And it would be cool to look at what loving is in all aspects of what the Bible says, but to define the neighbor and that love is taking care of someone else. It is having mercy on someone else, like a homeless person, or someone who "down on their luck", per se. It is also helping someone who may not realize they need help, although, to be honest, it is good for them to at least know... Anyway, I do like looking at a story told from different perspectives. It adds deminsion (spelling?).

Back to Home