God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. And after this comes a second commandment: You shall
love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these two.” The teacher of the law said to him, “Well spoken, Master; you are right when
you say that he is one, and there is no other besides him. To love him with all our heart, with all our understanding and with all our strength, and to love
our neighbor as ourselves is more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice.” Jesus approved this answer and said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.
” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Lectio Divina
READ: A teacher of the law asks Jesus what is the most important law of all. Jesus
quoted the double commandment to love God and neighbor. The teacher of
the law is impressed and Jesus assures him that he is not far from the Kingdom
of God. Afterwards, no one dares to ask Him anymore question.
REFLECT: Hearing is the first stage of obedience. For if we cannot hear clearly,
we cannot execute what is expected of us very well. That is why we need to
hone our skills to listen to God’s voice by being intimate with it in prayer. With
our prayer life understood as a relationship with God, we become familiar with
His voice. We begin to develop the capacity to distinguish His voice from our
own voice and the voices of others. This allows us to carry His will in perfect
obedience. That is why Jesus quotes the “Shema” “hear o Israel” as the first
commandment. The quality of our following God’s will depends on our capacity
to hear His voice clearly.
RESPOND: When was the last time you tried to divine God’s voice speaking
within you? This requires a quiet space and time not rushed by other concerns.
Can you find that space and time today? And if today you hear God’s word,
harden not your heart (Hebrews 3,15)
© Copyright Bible Diary 2021