Matthew 22:36-40
The Greatest Commandment
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.”
Many believe in the past and even today, say they are followers of Jesus, and see the world as a battleground to be won...The Christian Crusades were an example of this...The Crusades were a series of religious wars between Christians and Muslims started primarily to secure control of holy sites considered sacred by both groups. In all, eight major Crusade expeditions — varying in size, strength and degree of success — occurred between 1096 and 1291...The Christians tried to stop the dominance of Islam, but they could not...The encyclopedia Britannica writes: Approximately two-thirds of the ancient Christian world had been conquered by Muslims by the end of the 11th century, including the important regions of Palestine, Syria, Egypt, and Anatolia...The Crusades, attempting to check this advance, initially enjoyed success, founding a Christian state in Palestine and Syria, but the continued growth of Islamic states ultimately reversed those gains...By the 14th century the Ottoman Turks had established themselves in the Balkans and would penetrate deeper into Europe despite repeated efforts to repulse them...
So many followers of Jesus, even today, are going into battle...But what are they battling for now?...It seems that some Christian and Christian groups are trying to gain more control, power, their name in the news, and trying to quash the people who do not believe what they believe...And today's crusaders are using words as their swords...When Jesus was arrested and Peter slashed someone with a sword Jesus made it clear to him, that this was a non-violent movement...When those around Jesus and saw what He was going to be arrested, they said to Him, “LORD, shall we strike with the sword?”...And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear...But Jesus answered and said, “Permit even this.”...And He touched the injured one's ear and healed him...“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword...Do you think I cannot call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?...But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”...
Today's way seem to be many carrying swords of words, and believe they are in a battle with their neighbor against their injustice, their hate, and their beliefs...They want people to believe what they believe...Some today think that followers are right, because this is what our Teacher taught...But He is the One who says that those who live by the sword, will die by that very sword...They have forgotten that the Greatest Commandment is to love God and to love our neighbors...We are even to love our enemies and pray for them...We must ask ourselves are we loving our neighbors as much as we live ourselves?...
I am reminded of many of Jesus' Teachings of the Canaanite woman, the Samaritan woman, the Parable of the Good Samaritan...All of these groups were against the Jewish point of view and belief per say...Jesus was always helping everyone...He was not hostile to these groups, but was LOVING them and teaching them too...He helped and treated minorities, followers, and non-followers all the same...He taught with LOVE, and fought against injustice and hate for all men...There were no second class citizens to Him...In fact, as one read the Parable of the Good Samaritan explaining that our neighbor is one who is in need...And in His very first Sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, He teaches us to love our enemies...And to pray for them too...
Jesus came to earth to be a Servant to others...Some people today, however, believe it is subservient to serve and help others...Some people now believe that it is about getting people to believe in what they believe...This has nothing to do with serving others and helping others...But today, to be called a servant seems to be uncaring, when Jesus teaches us to be a servant of others...And let us be reminded that He washed His Disciples feet, when He gave us this teaching...
Jesus is called Prince of Peace to all men, not just some men...He spoke Great Words and people listened...Some of His Disciples left Him, in fact...He is tolerant of those, like the religious Pharisees, the Sanhedrin, the high priest who could not recognize Him as the Son of Man and those who do not do the will of His Father...He wants us all to be followers of God's Will...
Jesus died for all men and women, not just His followers but all men...
Jesus teaches us that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life...He is the Only Way to God...With His Words came a new religion called Christianity...He always spoke the Truth and not deceit never came from His mouth...He spoke the Perfect Words, always in the Right Context, and always with the Perfect Tone toward others...He never was teaching us to take out our swords and cut the ear off an enemy...He healed the ear of what one follower thought was an enemy...Violence was not His Way...He taught with Great Humility and still does...His Words and teachings are those of peace...He said peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you...Not as this world gives do I give to you...Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid...
Jesus does not need us to fight a war for Him...Don't you know at any time He can say to His Father, and He will at once put at His disposal more than twelve legions of angels?...