I love it when someone takes something complex and boils it down for me. Jesus does that when asked about the greatest commandment, and Danny Gokey sings about it in his song, “Love God Love People.”
There’s no greater power than really understanding the Scripture inspiring the summary statement found in our song and the words of Christ.
On this episode, I discuss:
- Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture – our Bible Interaction Tool Exercises this week are:
- Read in context
- Reference section headings to get your bearings
- Follow the cross-references
- Compare and contrast
- Make a list
- Utilizing outside resources (after you are familiar with the text)
- The 30 Day Music Challenge – ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE HERE
- Jesus command to love God and love people – Matthew 22:22-40
- Reading Matthew 21-23 to get the context of what was going on leading up to this scene and what happens after
- Understanding that the question that was asked of Jesus was intended to trip him up
- Resisting the temptation to “fill in the blanks” when we read a similar account in multiple gospels – “How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth” by Gordon and Fee
- Reading the same account in the Gospel of Mark – Mark 12:28-34
- Comparing and contrasting the details of each account
- Following up on discoveries with further research (i.e., reading up on scribes vs. lawyers using a Bible Dictionary found at BibleStudyTools.com)
- How Jesus is quoting the Shema as found in Deuteronomy 6:30
- Learning more about the Shema through outside resources – Bible Project Shema Series
- Heading over to Leviticus 19 to see when “love your neighbor as yourself” was first mentioned – Leviticus 19:1-17
- Making a list of instructions that lead to personal holiness – Leviticus 19:1-17
- Finding the instruction to love our neighbor as ourself again in Paul’s letter to the Galatians – Galatians 5:13-15
- When we love others rightly, we are automatically fulfilling the guidance detailed by the law.
- The law shows us what sin is – Romans 7:7
Our personal holiness is in direct relationship to how we interact with God and others.
Check out the official lyric video of this week’s song below!
More Than a Song Playlist
Additional Resources
- Lyrics and chords – PraiseCharts.com
- A Conversation with Danny Gokey About His New Song “Love God, Love People” – Spirit1053.com
This Week’s Challenge
Read Matthew 22 and Mark 12 in context. Read the context of Deuteronomy 6 and Leviticus 19, where Jesus pulled his summary from of the greatest commandments in Scripture. Make a list of what steps that will contribute to your personal holiness. Contemplate how those two simple phrases sum up the law and the prophets. Take some time to learn more about the Shema.
