Matthew 22:36-40
The Greatest Commandments Are About Love
36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
1 John 4:16
God is Love
16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
Luke 10:25-37
Our Neighbor is those Who We Show Mercy
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 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.’”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.
35 The next day he took out two denarii 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.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Colossians 3:12-14
Love Binds Everything Together
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
1 Corinthians 13:8-13
Love is the Greatest Virtue
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
God is LOVE...And Jesus teaches us that the two Greatest Commandments in the Old Testament, are all about Love...It should be of no surprise, since God is LOVE that the LOVE of God and the love for our neighbor are the two Greatest Commandments in the Bible and in life...Love is about a relationship or relationships...God wants us to have loving relationships and be involved with love, and to be involved with Him and have a relationship with Him...He also wants us to have good relationships with our neighbors...
Love is not forced, it cannot be demanded, it cannot be manipulated, it cannot be controlled, and it cannot be bought -even though some think it can be...Love cannot be dictated...Love is the greatest source of frustration and sadness...Yet, ironically, love is the greatest source of satisfaction and happiness in one's whole life...Love is free to give and free to receive...And most of all Love forgives...Forgiveness is a part of love...
God gives us our free will...God gives His LOVE freely and without control or manipulation...He gives us His LOVE, and we get to choose, whether to accept it, believe in Him, trust in Him, and to love Him...God wants us to trust in Him, to hope in Him, and most of all to love Him...God's LOVE is an invitation...His LOVE is an invitation to seek Him...God wants us to have loving relationships with all people on earth...He even wants us to love our enemies...And because God is LOVE and He wants us to love all people, including our enemies, we see from His perspective that He cares for who we are and that we are all interconnected in this world...God and His LOVE ties all His children together -each and everyone of us...God cares for our world and each one of us and about the love that intertwines the entire world...Love, I suspect on the Second Advent of Jesus will completely intertwine the universe...
The analogy I would give about God and Love, would be like talking about the sun...The sun is the sun (and is very hot) and gives us heat...The sun radiates very much heat...The closer we get to the sun the warmer it is...And so, God is LOVE...God radiates LOVE...The closer we get to God the more we love and know about love...Of all the great things in life and the great virtues in life -Love binds all things together in perfect unity...Of the three greatest virtues in life, hope, faith, and love -love is the greatest of all...