Tag Archives: greatest

Foundation of life

 

Pat Barrett – Build My Life

 

Each of us has within ourselves sources of life. What comes out in the character and behaviour of a person as a whole is an expression of a few sources in that person that provide the foundation of their life.

Jesus gives us a few of these in Mark chapter twelve when asked what the greatest commandment was. He did not give a list like the ten commandments, He instead talked about the part of a person.

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:30-31  ESV

The Bible really likes expressing how the heart is the seat of a person’s emotions, will and conscience. Those expressions go from guarding our heart to loving with all of our heart. He wants my heart to be His – hence the greatest commandment. Again, love is a choice, not a feeling.

The idea of loving God passionately shows up in how we love Him and love people. I would assume that we would be tempted right here to keep it that simple – yet we know it is not. Love demands effort, action and passion.

Love is the leading affection of the soul and God’s love is the leading grace in the renewed soul. Love battles for the seat of the throne in our souls, it engages us to honour Him. The commandments have little effect on us if this principle of love rules.

That is the foundation of life. From here I can love my neighbour because I know where I stand with God. My neighbour can experience God’s love as much as I have and what a joy for me to share that with them.

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Who is the greatest?

 

All Sons & Daughters – Great Are You Lord

 

Muhammad Ali, the colorful 1960 light-heavyweight Olympic boxing champion who went on to hold the world heavyweight title three times, is known to have uttered many a memorable remark during his time in the spotlight. His personal catch phrase “I am the greatest” came to serve as an identifier of the man, in that whoever voiced it, one knew that person was alluding to Ali.

In 1980, just before takeoff on an airplane flight from New York to Los Angeles, the Eastern Airlines stewardess reminded Ali, who was on his way to making a movie, to fasten his seatbelt. “Superman don’t need no seat belt,” replied Ali. “Superman don’t need no airplane either,” retorted the stewardess. 

Reminds me of another story where the disciples are with Jesus and He overhears their discussion about who of them is the greatest. In light of their inability to heal the evil spirit possessed boy, they were hardly in the position to be talking about greatness.  Moreover, they simply did not have enough experience and maturity to really understand what it means to be great in the kingdom of God.  Jesus’ teaching had a lot to teach me about what greatness in the kingdom really means.

And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” – Mark 9:33-37  ESV

 

 

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