FBCD_FaithEssentials_June_FlipBook

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The Great Commandment

“Love the Lord your God . . .” (Matthew 22:37).

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t would have made perfect sense to end our journey with believers living happily ever after on the New Earth. I’ve baked the cake, assembled the layers, iced, and decorated it. Yet one thing is missing, an inscription on top. I’ll do that now: Love . As Jesus was preaching and teaching one day, He conversed with a lawyer (Luke 10:25-29). The Bible says the man “stood up and put Him to the test” (Luke10:25). In place of the word “test,” the KJV uses “tempted,” which implies this legal expert was feigning interest, yet attempting to get the Lord to contradict the written law. Perhaps he was looking for an opportunity to display his knowledge and show Jesus up. Whatever the motivation, this dialogue created an excellent instructional opportunity. The curious lawyer began with the first of two questions: “ What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25). Always the consummate teacher, the Lord answered the question with a question, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” (Luke 10:26). The man

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