The Greatest Command “Love God and love neighbors. For this fulfills all the law and prophets” Luke 10:27

Life is always more fruitful when we settle on simple ways of living. Jesus didn’t overwhelm us with to do’s or constraining demands that push us beyond our capacity or past lines that make us unhealthy humans. He made things as simple as possible and if we live by just a few patterns, our lives will be full of beautiful kingdom fruit.

As religious people were asking him ‘what was the greatest commandment?’ he said, love God with all you have, and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus always combines love with him (vertical relationship) with love of others (horizontal relationship) because they really can’t be separated. Just like I will someday tell the young man that marries my daughter that the best way for him to love me as his father in law is to love my daughter, so God asks us to love him by loving those around us.

Interestingly, there’s a hidden third love in this equation. There is love God. There is love our neighbor, and there is also love of ourselves. Why would Jesus say this? All three loves are based on being created in God’s image. We should love ourselves because God created us in his image. We should love Him, because he loved us by creating us, and we should love every human being around us because they too are made in his image.

It’s that simple. How good would life be if every Christ follower loved everyone simply because they are made in God’s image?

Don’t overthink what things will make you great or make your life great. What makes all things meaningful is the love God has for us, the love we give him back by loving those in our homes or across the street.