Recently the world waited for the arrival of a new prince in Great Britain. Photographers camped out at the hospital where the new prince would enter the world. When the day arrived, the world celebrated the birth of Prince George who was born to Prince William and Duchess Kate. What a handsome couple they are. They are very popular for many reasons but their clean cut looks and sense of duty and service make them stand out as members of the royal family. Prince William is more popular than Prince Charles, his father. Yet, Prince Charles is just as dedicated to his country and the charities and trusts he supports.
What makes the difference? God gave Samuel the reason. People judge by outward appearance. Public opinion states Prince Charles is cold and aloof. The Public blames him for the breakup of his marriage and his affair with Camilla, his current wife. We are so guilty of judging others because of their past or the way they look or the manner they convey. If you have ever seen the British comedy "Keeping Up Appearances" on PBS, we all can identify with the characters especially Hyacinth Bucket. Hyacinth worried about the outward appearance especially when it came to the aristocracy. She wanted people to see her as a highly sophisticated aristocratic woman. She didn't fool anyone but herself.
God judges by what is in the heart or the motivation for the actions we take. God is more interested in a relationship with us than our social, economic, religious, ancestral standing. God is more interested in a relationship than our race, nationality, ethnicity, or political affiliations. God asks, "Why did you do that?"
Jesus declared in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." God's test is "Do you love me?" When we reply, "Yes, Lord" then God says, "Keep My commandments'. What are the commandments? There are two found in Mark 12.
28 One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’No other commandment is greater than these.”
Jesus asks, "Do you love me?"
No comments:
Post a Comment