6/19/11- Love for God the first and greatest command

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.” (Mathew 22:36-40)

You shall have no other gods before me.  Deut. 5:7

(James J. Tissot- Pharisees ask Christ about Greatest Command)

Thoughts:  When the Old Testament says to not have any other God before God, it primarily means that no one should be before God in place.  God deserves first place in our lives and first place in our hearts and love.  Luther used to say, "Love God and do what you will."  There is a sense that if we love God- putting no one else ahead of Him in our hearts- then we will seek and do His will in other things.  But without love for God false motives and false loves consume us.  The first commandment is a command to elevate God not just in our practice, or in our heads, but primarily in our hearts. 
    In our day, many have lost their true Father.  But when we have love for our true heavenly Father first in our hearts then love for all earthly relationships are in the right perspective.  On this Father's Day- let us return to love for our true Father. 

Prayer:  Help me Lord, to grow in love for you.  Let me not let other loves crowd out my love for you.

6/17/11 The First Commandment Deuteronomy 5:6-7 Seek God first

⁶ “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
⁷ “You shall have no other gods before me.

But seek first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you.   (Mt. 6:33)

(Golden Calf Nicolas Poussin 1633-4)

Thoughts: For many, God is on the back burner.  We call on God when things go wrong, when we worry, or want something.  We worry about many things, and in our worry we become more concerned about things than God.  Some see God as the One whose sole purpose is to give them things.  God is the Deliverer who delivered Israel from Egypt.  But we listen to God not just because He delivers us, but also- and mainly because He is the Lord our God.  He is God who cares about our pain (in Egypt's slavery or elsewhere), and is able to deliver us.  Jesus said a similar thing to the first commandment when He said to seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and then God will deliver us- providing the things we need.  God should not be sought as window dressing.  God is not just the icing on the cake of our lives. He gives us the ingredients for the cake, the ability to make the cake, and the ability to enjoy it.  God is not to be put on the back burner.  God is the all-consuming fire.  No thing, no worry should replace God. 

Prayer:  You are God alone.  Help me to realize that in the way I give myself to you.

John Calvin Abridged:  God requires here that He alone should be worshipped and worshipped without superstition.  We should deduce an affirmation from the negative: namely that they should look to Him alone/  This commandment focuses on the inward worship, whereas the next focuses on the outward worship. 

(Heidelberg Catechism Q. 94) What does the Lord require in the first commandment?  A. That I must avoid and flee all idolatry, sorcery, enchantments, invocation
of saints or other creatures because of the risk of losing my salvation.

Indeed, I ought properly to acknowledge the only true God, trust

in him alone, in humility and patience expect all good from him only, and

love, fear and honor him with my whole heart. In short, I should rather

turn my back on all creatures than do the least thing against his will.