Love in action

Jo Penn March 18, 2024 7 2

Playlists

Add to Favourites

Save for later

Listen to this daily worship

Mark 12: 30-31 (NRSVA)

30 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.” 31 The second is this, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’

I recently made a shoebox loom and wove a strip of fabric on it — stripy as I only had short lengths of wool.

To weave you need three things — warp (the vertical threads), weft (the thread woven horizontally between the warp threads) and the shuttle on which the weft thread is wound. Without any of these three elements the fabric would not be able to be woven on the loom. To me, this seems like the elements of the ‘Golden rule’ in today’s reading. We cannot create the fabric of society, community, without the three elements: love of God (who brought all to life); love of self (worthy of love and called to love) and neighbour (the other that calls out love in us).

I wonder how Mary Magdalene felt about the list of ten commandments that had been given to Moses as the basis of the new society that the ‘freed from slavery’ Israelites were to form under the rule of God. Whether a particular commandment induced a feeling of guilt within her? How do we feel about each of the ten commandments? (Exodus 10: 1-17.)

Jesus sums up the commandments to be about love in action — a sign of the underlying purpose and character of God.

How would Mary have seen these two most important commandments worked out in the life of Jesus with whom she travelled?

Before God we are equally made and loved by God. — Jesus welcomed the leper, the sick, the Samaritan woman, the child.

Before God your neighbour is equally made and loved by God, even the person you do not understand, or agree with. — Jesus healed the ear that Peter cut off defending him; and welcomed the thief into paradise.

Before God you are to love yourself. — Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery and brought truth into the minds and hearts of those who sought to accuse her. ‘Go and sin no more’ – receive forgiveness and seek to live in the light of God’s love for you.

Prayer:

Jesus — thank you for the example of your life on earth: love in action.