“Teacher,which is the most important commandment in the Law?”

Jesus answered, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul
and with all your mind. This is the first and the most important of the commandments. But
after this there is another one very similar to it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The
whole Law and the Prophets are founded on these two commandments.”

Reflect

The life of a disciple is a life of love. We follow Jesus who loved us, even to death, dying on
the cross so that we can share eternal life. As disciples, we are called to follow his example:
loving God above all things and loving our neighbors as ourselves.

The story of Ruth offers an example of how that way of loving plays out. The widowed Ruth
chooses to remain with her mother-in-law, Naomi, journeying back to Naomi’s hometown,
Bethlehem. Once there, she supports Naomi with her care and labor, joining her community
and worshipping God with her.

We can learn a lot about how to love from Ruth. Love means staying present. Even when
separated by distance, we can remain close through visits, calls, messages, and prayer.
Staying present to those we love helps to increase that love. Love means sharing the journey
with those we love – sharing the burdens of everyday life, the joys and the sorrows, the work
and the fun, that are part of life. Finally, our mutual love is grounded in God who is the source
and perfecter of all love. As we love each other, we grow closer to God.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2023