Good People
Tuesday, August 18
Good People
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:37-38
In Matthew 22, Jesus instructs His disciples with two commands. Firstly, He reminds us of the commitment to love God as written in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 6:4), and then He goes on to direct our attention to those around us, whom He calls our neighbors (Leviticus 19:18). The parable of the Good Samaritan expands on this command to love. In Luke 10 we discover who our neighbor is and the response we ought to have towards them. In other words, we’re to love everyone, not just our fellow-believers. Our behavior towards them will show them that we are followers of Christ Jesus, which should make an impression on them.
Jesus challenges us to see a neighbor as anyone in need. We’re meant to be helping those who’re suffering in any way, even if they’re not people we would normally want to reach out to. This is the sacrifice we are called to make.. I wonder if our walk with Jesus is seen to those around us. Do they think we are ‘good’ people too? Do they recognize the love of God in the way we behave, the way we serve others, the way we sacrifice of ourselves and the attitudes we exhibit in everyday life? We never know when we’re being watched by the most unlikely of observers, and what they may be thinking in relation to what they see.
Prayer for today: Lord Jesus, please help us by Your Spirit to live a life of love towards others that can be recognized as only coming from You. Let our love be a reflection of Your love working within. Amen.