“Love God, and love your neighbor. P.S. Even your enemy is a neighbor.”
Asked about it, Jesus said those are the two greatest laws. So, one might ask, how do you do that?
Hard as some people may be to love, it’s easy to figure out how to show love to a neighbor.
What about loving God? How do you show God that you love him? I’m thinking it requires a little more than coming to church every Sunday, or whatever day of the week your congregation might meet.
Actually, at the end of the gospel of John is a pretty good indication. The third time John writes about an appearance by the resurrected Christ, he helps Peter and his fishermen buddies with a miraculous catch, and then asks Peter, also known as Simon, the same question three times.
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
“Yes Lord, you know that I love you,” Peter responds three times.
Jesus answers in three slightly different ways as if to say, “If you love me, then …”
“Feed my lambs.”
“Tend my sheep.”
“Feed my sheep.”
In other words, to show your love for God …
Love your neighbor.
Wait — “Love God” and “Love your neighbor” are the same thing?
Yeah, pretty much, I think so.
