Pr. Asap Singh 

Scripture Portion: Matthew 22: 34-40 

34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”


In Old Testament Jews had 10 major commandments that are called Decalogue (Exodus 20). In later periods the other commandments were sorted out from the Bible by Jewish scholars and listed 613 commandments from the Pentateuch which is called as Torah or Law by Jews. Jesus born as a Jew made several reformed understanding to the law which seemed contradicts to the traditional understanding of the Law. The following are few observations from the gospels,
  1. Law on Punishment for adultery (John 8:1-11)
  2. Law on cleanliness (Mat 15:1-11)
  3. Law on Fasting (Mat 9:14-17)
  4. Law on eating and healing during Sabbath (Mat 12:1-14)
  5. Law on Murder (Mat 5:21-22)
  6. Law on Adultery (Mat 5:27-30)
  7. Law on Divorce (Mat 5:31-32)
  8. Law on Oaths (Mat 5:33-37)
  9. Law on Retaliations - Revenge (Mat. 5:38-42)
  10. Understanding about God and Messiah (John 10: 22-33)
In all above instances Jesus gave a new understanding/interpretation which seemed contracting the Old Testament practices that may be one of the reasons they tried killing him in many occasions. Matthew 22 is a prime example where Jesus faced several conflicts from Pharisees and Sadducees.
  • Paying Tax to Caesar (vv 15-22)
  • Marriage at Resurrection (vv 23-33)
  • Great Commandment (vv 34-40)
  • Messiah (vv 41-46)
In all above occasions Jesus defended himself against Pharisees and Sadducees in clarifying their understanding. They tried to trap Jesus with hard questions while Jesus answered wisely and gave reformed understanding which they could not accept it nor reject it.

Greatest Commandment:

Jewish people had priority in their law (Torah) – The 613 commandments listed from the Pentateuch actually starts with the Decalogue (10 commandments) that was given by God directly to the people in the Mount Sinai. It was also written down in the stone tablets and given to the Israelites – in a Jewish view point the Ten Commandments gets very important comparing to other commandments. The Ten Commandments can be divided into two parts a Jew’s relationship with God (First 3 commandments) and relationship with others/neighbors (Commandments 4-10). Jesus for the first time brought a new commandment to the disciple without defiling the old. Matt 5:17, ““Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” The commandments of Jesus is based on “LOVE” not on “FEAR” – It has higher moral standards that not only be observed through our ACTS but also through our THOUGHTS. The above two reasons make the commandments of Jesus higher standard than the Old Testament numerous commands.

Coming to the passage Matthew 22:34-40, Jesus was asked a question “which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” as we discussed earlier on, this is a rhetorical question by an expert in Law – A Pharisee asked question about Law? His intention was to test Jesus, whereas Jesus patiently answered which became highlight to every Christians.

1. LOVE GOD (VERTICAL RELATIONSHIP) IS PRIMARY COMMANDMENT (MAT 22: 37-38) 

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

The first three in ten commandments speak of worshipping one true God, Not using His name in vain and observing Sabbath to give thanks to God. The above three are actions of a person who loves God – The direct commandment in v.37 is a quote from Deut 6:5 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

To Love God means spending time with Him – The God of Bible wanted to have relationship with human beings as a personal God. Usually if a person is in love with someone else he/she wanted to spend more time with the loved one, always think about that person, wanted to do something for that person. The above are actions that come out of the loved ones. Loving God also requires the same; the verses in both the places differ slightly – With ‘all your strength’ in OT replaced as ‘all your mind’. 

The following are few action plans for how to love the Lord with,
  • All your Heart: Heart is the emotional part of the person (longing for God is the outcome of a person who loves God with whole heart) we see the expressions of psalmists in Ps 42:1 – Longs for God like deer longs for water; Ps 63:1 – Longs for God like a dry land. The above are some of the expression of the psalmist who loved God with all heart. 
  • All your Soul: Soul is the spiritual part of a person. Someone who loves God with whole soul will be filled with the Holy Spirit, spend their time in reading/meditating the word of God Eph 5:17-21. Prayer filled life – spending more time depending on God.
  • All your Mind: Mind is the intellectual part of a person. Searching and reasoning on God related things is the sign of a person who loves God with all mind. Keeping the mind free from worldly, sinful desire is another sign of a person who loves God with all mind. (1 Pet 3:15; 2 Tim 2:22)
  • All your Strength: Strength is the physical force unlike all other things we saw above. A person who love God will share about Him and do things for God in all possible ways. Strength includes using their energy for the expansion of the Kingdom of God, Being energetic for the Lord.


v.38, Loving God is the first and great commandment – The vertical relationship of a person to God is the most important one BUT this is not the only thing Jesus commanded us to follow. There are churches today speak ONLY about the commandment of Loving God – said to be that is the only commandment for Christians. They emphasis only the spiritual side of a person take them to heaven. When this point is over-emphasized the responsibility of church towards the world gets nullified. Church exists for itself, loving God is the first priority but this is not the only priority.

2. LOVE OTHERS (HORIZONTAL RELATIONSHIP) (MAT 22: 39-40)

39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
The second commandment is “Loving others” which is said to be the rest of the Ten Commandments 4-10. The relationship of an individual to their family and neighbors matters a lot before God. I would separate this into two since the Bible defines loving others in two dimensions,

a.      Love among the Believers (John 13:34-35; 15:9-17)

Jesus explicitly spoke about love among the disciples. Love one another. As I have loved you (13:34). The love of Jesus towards the disciples was complete and impartial. His love remained constant from beginning till the end (13:1). How did He love them, through His concern, compassion, care, provision …etc you can list them up how Jesus loved them, by knowing that he sets a parameter to the disciples “As I have loved you” His love was practically shown on them, which the followers experienced and able to replicate it through their lives.

Love among one another is also a model to the world that “They were the disciples of Christ” (v.35). The chapter started with the practical teaching of Jesus washing the feet of disciples as a symbol of his humbleness even though he was addressed as “Rabbi – Teacher – Master” by the disciples. By giving up his privileges, Jesus demonstrated true love must give up once positions. The love of Jesus towards His disciples had selfless love – people centric love. When this love among the believers being practiced in the church, there will be great revival in the church which will flush out the power of God to the world. This love also in other way called as “Unity” in care (Gal. 6:10)

b.      Love among the unbelievers ( Luke 10:25-37; Matt. 5:43-48)

Love among the unbelievers includes the neighbors, friends, enemies … everyone who is in need of help. The final part of Ten Commandments is dealing with people who are your neighbors, friends, well wishers or even enemies. This is a great shift of Jesus teaching which is contrary to the practices of the Old Testament – Love your neighbors as yourself (Which you don’t see in the Torah).

Proverbs 25:21-22 “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For you will heap burning coals on his head, And the LORD will reward you.” Loving enemies in OT had vengeance and reward as motives whereas Jesus’ love on enemies is to show the characteristics of God to them through the believers. We see the response of Jesus to an expert in Law who asked “Who is my neighbor?” someone who is in need around you is your neighbor Jesus explained it from the parable of Good Samaritan. If Jesus calls us to love our enemies, then it is obvious that our love must be equal to everyone we see. Paul clearly illustrates it the Love that acts to be in Romans 12:9-21,

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Seek opportunities to love people as the way Jesus loved them, as the way you received it from Him. Jesus gave His new commandment summarized from the ten as love God and love others. Is your love to others leading them to know God? Through your love you can prove that you are a disciple of Christ – who is the role model for your love.

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (I John 4:7-12)

The above passage describes God as LOVE. Do we reflect it in our daily life? – The Greatest Commandment Jesus gave to us is LOVE.

May God bless you!
 
[i] Decalogue: The "Ten Commandments" (also called the "Decalogue") obviously come from the Hebrew Bible, but it is not so obvious to determine exactly what they are or how to count them. These commandments are recorded in two different biblical chapters (Exodus 20:1-17 & Deuteronomy 5:6-21), yet each text is slightly different, and neither passage explicitly numbers the commandments one through ten. http://catholic-resources.org/Bible/Decalogue.htm
[iii] Pharisees are a Jewish group found in the period of second temple (Herod’s Temple) probably started in 2nd century BC till 70AD. They were religious group as well as wanted to gain political power from Romans. The word Pharisee means – Set apart, they lived a puritan life by strictly following the commandments of God. They differ from Sadducees in the issue of belief. Pharisees believe in the bodily resurrection while Sadducees don’t believe resurrection and life after death. We see both of these groups had conflict with Jesus whole through their encounter with Jesus.




If I have to say the one thing that grieved the world in July 2018 but had joyful ending is the saving of 12 boys (and their coach) from “The Cave in Thailand.” For further details about this news read the below articles (If you are unaware about it)… 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/07/18/thai-soccer-team-leaves-hospital/794889002/
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/08/asia/thai-cave-rescue-who-are-boys-intl/index.html

There is a connection to this cave to another cave which brought rescue to the entire humanity from Sin and darkness. I was so encouraged by reading the below article which was published in “A Slice of Infinity” from RZIM ministries. Read it and spread the good news of Redemption.
THE (OTHER) ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE
Posted by Aniu Kevichusa, on July 12, 2018
Topic: A Slice of Infinity

The story of the twelve Thai boys in the cave, which gripped the attention and held the breath of the world for over a fortnight, has, thankfully, ended happily. One is quite aware that this real-life story, as all such poignant stories, should be taken in its own unicity and integrity. Real stories are not mere stories to be insensitively and carelessly “used” for analogical or allegorical purposes—an infraction of which (we) preachers are often guilty.

And yet, irresistibly, the 18-day saga of the “Dingy Dozen” is an almost-perfect dramatic enactment of the gospel story. In the first place, we have the twelve members of the “Wild Boars” football team, who went on a “wild boar” into the cave. These boys were no ordinary boys. They were all ably-gifted with fine genes, ample talent, and bright futures. But through a mixture of daredevilry and delinquency, chance and circumstance, they ended up where they ended up, precariously perched on a ledge, helpless and hopeless—“between a rock and a hard place” and “between the devil and the deep blue sea” rolled into one!

This ordeal and predicament of “The Twelve” is a snapshot of the human condition, as diagnosed by the Bible. “Twelve Tribes” or “Twelve Apostles” created good and glorious, but invariably “foolish, disobedient, led astray, enslaved,” find their way into lostness.(Titus 3:3) They got there on their own, but they can no longer get out on their own. No way forward. No way back. No light. No food. No air. No help. No hope:

“Out of the depths I cry out to you, O LORD!”(Psalm 130:1)

Then suddenly: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.”(Isaiah 9:2) Not unlike the two British cave-divers—strangers from a distant land—who came searching for, shone their light on, and spoke to the boys, God, the Stranger, comes to us, shines his light on us, and asks: “Where are you?”(Genesis 3:9)

The search has ended. But the rescue has only begun. The tragic death of the Navy SEAL diver, Saman Kunan, brings us close to what is at the heart of the gospel—namely, sacrifice. In the process of supplying oxygen canisters to the boys, this hero ran out of air himself. Jesus, too, came into the world to give us life, and, in the process, laid down his own. Jesus did not just give us life. He gave us his life. For greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

“When you go home, tell them of us and say: For their tomorrow, we gave our today.”(This is the famous epitaph in the World War II Cemetery in Kohima, Nagaland. The authorship is credited to John Maxwell Edmonds.) Even then, the boys still had the waters to traverse, a baptism to undergo, and the serpentine tunnel to navigate—not unlike the people of Israel, who, although they had been redeemed from Egypt, still had to face and pass through the chaos of the sea, navigate the dry and dreary wilderness, suffer from snakebites, and cross the Jordan River.

So also is the life of those who will follow Christ. We have been reached and redeemed. But we have a baptism to undergo. We have to negotiate the rocky perils, pitfalls, and pains of life, face the chaotic waters of chance and necessity, and endure the choking of the serpentine enemy of our souls. We often do not see the light at the end of the tunnel.

But like the boys, we have now been supplied food, drink, and air: God’s word, the Lord’s Table, eternal life. 

And, as each boy was led and accompanied along the journey back by two expert Navy SEALs, alongside us have also come the seal of God’s Spirit and the sealed Bride of Christ—the Church to guarantee, to guard, and to guide. “The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’”(Revelation 22:17)

We may be crawling, but we are moving. We may even be bleeding, but we are still breathing. We are not out of the tunnel yet, but we are on our way home. And “creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God”—so that the world, too, may breathe again. (Romans 8:19)

Kethoser (Aniu) Kevichusa is a member of the speaking team at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Nagaland, India. 

Original Source: https://rzim.org/a-slice-of-infinity/the-other-allegory-of-the-cave/



From the Life of David
Pr. Asap Singh

Psalm 46: 7, 11 "The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress”

The Psalmist understood the value of God's Protection and His presence in the life of the Believers. There is no need of any fear when God is our refuge; especially the indwelling presence of the LORD. Today we fear of many things, children fear of darkness, evil stories, ghosts etc. But the Devil, who troubles the people fear of the people of God/the indwelling presence of the Lord. (1 Jn. 4:4). The Lord of hosts with us, said in KJV

Psalm 46, a song of praise, was written by the Sons of Korah who were assistants in the Temple. It might have been composed as a celebration of God's deliverance, possibly when Jerusalem was invaded by the Assyrian army (2 King. 13:13-19:37 or 2 Ch. 32). The ideas conveyed show that humans have always lived in fear of a great destruction that would signify the end of the world. However, the Psalmist's words speak as clearly to us today as to the ancient Israelites. Those who place their trust in God need not fear of anything. God will protect and save us. Before God's greatness, we stand in reverence and awe, offering our praise with worship. 

As we see Joseph and the rested presence of God in him in earlier. Because of the presence of God he was prosperous, he was successful and he got favor in the sight of men. As for now we are going to see the key personality of the OT, King David. What happened in the Life of David because of the presence of God? The comfort of God's people is that, even though they may be least in their society, community nation but the specialty is God is with them,

An ordinary shepherd boy David, would never imagine that he would be in the palace of the King as such of Joseph in the patriarchs, God lifts us up from the dust and makes us to sit with the kings. We are going to see the power of God's presence in the life of David, which made ordinary shepherd boy into the king for the people of God. Read... I Sam.18:12, 14, 28-29 and 2 Sam 5:10. In all these verses we repeatedly see "the Lord was with David...." The second part of the verse says what the benefits are the blessings the presence of the Lord brought in the life of David.

1. IT BRINGS FEAR TO THE ENEMIES (V.12, 13 cf. 28-29)

V.12 says, "Now Saul was afraid of David, for the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul" when the Lord is with us we don't need to fear of the enemies if the presence of the Lord is not with us we must fear of everything.
Vv 28-29 again says, "When Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him, then Saul was even more afraid of David. Thus Saul was David's enemy continually."

Look at the small group of Israelites in the huge land Egypt, what made Pharaoh to hate the people of God and to treat them as enemies? The Lord was with the People of God but not with the Egyptians. Look at the declaration of the Lord, “‘But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land. 23 I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This sign will occur tomorrow.’” (Exodus 8:22-23). There was plague upon Egyptians but not upon the Israelites. Pharaoh afraid of the people of God, it’s because of the presence of the Lord with Israelites.

There is a comfort and hope for the people of God, the enemy who is against you may be a great in the eyes of the world but God put fear on them, they may try to persecute you of their level best but the conqueror is with you. David might be thinking of the power of a King or the hand of the king against him but David did not have fear over Saul but Saul had fear over David.In Romans 8:31, "If God is for us, who is against us?" We are not in the side of timidity but on the side of conquest. The ruler of the world looks at you and fear you, not because of your appearance but the Lord who is with you.

In 1991, when my father started ministry in a place called Jakkampatti, an old woman came to pray for her infirmities. My father prayed and gave prayed oil to apply on it, she got cured. She removed her magic ropes in the church itself, which was thrown in a well. Exactly after a week, she came back with panic and said “Pastor I don’t want this prayed oil kept in my home” My dad asked what was happened since she got healed what made her to return the prayed oil. She expressed a dream that she got in that night where her old Hindu god, the demon standing on her door and not willing to enter into her home. She asked that god's hesitation to enter into her house. The demon answered, as long as the prayed oil kept in the house he cannot enter into the home. The reply made her sad and returned the oil the next day... my father was sorrow of her towards that. She said, “Even I am willing to go to the hell but return the magical rope to me - I don’t need the prayed oil anymore"

It shows that even demon afraid of prayed oil, not able to enter in to the house of that lady. If God is with us how much more we are protected and how much the demon have fear on us. The presence of the Lord gives fear to your enemy, whoever it may be. You may have many Sauls in your daily life but God put fear in them concerning you. This is the reason amidst of great political power and strength Christians often persecuted, even though they are minority and in defensive.

2. IT GIVES WISDOM (Vv. 14-15)

I Sam. 18:14-15 says, "And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways and the LORD was with him. Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him."

We see here, David behaved himself WISELY... The Lord is the one who gives wisdom to the fools, if God is with us we will be no longer counted as fools. May be in the point of world, Christian philosophy seems not sound enough. But the Lord chooses the foolish and makes them wise. David could be hardly 19 not aged enough to be a part of the army (age 20). It would be scornful for a man like him acting wisely, that too before a king. God's choice is always weak and rejected one to shame the strong and wise, I Cor. 1: 27 says, "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong.”

Daniel and his friends were counted as captives in a foreign land, but God’s presence made them wise among the wise men. Daniel 1:17-20 says, "As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams. Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, so they entered the king's personal service. As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in his entire realm”.
 
It is the proof that God's presence will make people WISE. The Presence of the Lord gives wisdom and understanding to act wisely in any situation. The book of proverbs repeatedly declares that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (1.7). There can be millions of examples given how God makes a foolish person wise. The example of my past life shows God uses the foolish and makes them wise.

3. IT MAKES YOU GREATER (2 Sam 5:10 cf. 1 Ch. 11:9)

As we see in 2 Samuel 5.10, "David became greater and greater, for the LORD God of hosts was with him.” It is obvious that when great God is with us, we will be great too. David was king for only two tribes so far (up to 2 Sam. 4); but in this chapter the Lord exalted him to be the king over entire Israel.

Everyone wanted to be great in their lifetime; none want to be a useless person. The presence of the Lord makes ordinary man into extraordinary: weak into great; local into universal; powerless into powerful. David had a humiliated beginning, but great end it's all because of the presence of the Lord.

Jacob started his journey as a single man with lots of fears; but when he returned from his uncle he had two troops of wealth. The Lord promised him on Gen. 28: 15 that, Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will you back to this land for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." As a result of His presence in Jacob we see him later in 32: 10, "I am unworthy of all the loving-kindness and of all the faithfulness which you have chosen to your servant; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies.”

David similarly became great because of the presence of the Lord in him, you are not an ordinary person and we should confess everyday in faith "I am Great, because God is with me.” I Sam. 2:8 says, He rises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor…”

CONCLUSION:

When God is with us (Ps. 46: 7, 11), the following blessings will be evident in our lives,
  • The Presence of God in you will give fear to your enemies.
  • The Presence of God will give wisdom in all situations.
  • The Presence of God will make you Greater.
Amen.

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