Thanking God

This is for the readers who are believers in God, specifically Christians. I'm not going to deride atheists who want to post in this thread, but frankly, I'm not writing this for you. I thought I'd just make that clear at the outset.

This thread is about this snippet of scripture:

'But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment." ' -- Matthew 22:34-38

Do you act like this is the greatest commandment in the law? Do you actually love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind? Or do you just give this 'lip service', like everything else in your busy life? How often do you pray to the Lord your God? Do you speak with him every day? Do you consult with your Heavenly Father the way you consulted with your earthly father when you were young? Do you come to Him with your problems? Do you come to Him in celebration of your successes? When was the last time you actually sincerely thanked Him for anything?

I don't need a literal answer to these questions. What I want is for Christians to honestly think about your relationship with your Heavenly Father and His Son. Can it be improved? What do you think loving the Lord your God actually means for you today? And I want you to remember that actually loving your God "with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind", is the first and greatest commandment. It should be of literal primary importance in your life. Because it's not just me saying this, it is straight from the mouth of your Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God. He has made it clear to you all that following Him, doing these things He talks about, including following His second commandment, loving your fellow man at least as much as you love yourself, will lead you to the "more abundant life" that He promises.

Do you love Him, or not? What is holding you back?

@suzianne said
Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment." ' -- Matthew 22:34-38

Perhaps more emphasis from Christians is needed on the second part of that exchange, where Jesus said the second greatest commandment is to "love your neighbor as yourself".

Matthew 25:35-40:

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

To answer your question of what could be "holding" Christians "back", maybe the lack of love toward God could be due to a general lack of love toward others:

For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

The above certainly seems to be the case with conservative Christians, who show a general lack of love toward the poor or less fortunate. Maybe lack of love toward others is what's "holding back" Christians from loving God.

As Jesus said, by loving others who are in need, you'd be showing love to him.

@suzianne said
This is for the readers who are believers in God, specifically Christians. I'm not going to deride atheists who want to post in this thread, but frankly, I'm not writing this for you. I thought I'd just make that clear at the outset.

This thread is about this snippet of scripture:

'But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were ...[text shortened]... to the "more abundant life" that He promises.

Do you love Him, or not? What is holding you back?

"Can it be improved"?

That's what it's all about suzianne, don't you think? The truth is it's not about the perfection of performance, but the perfection of relationship.

I'm curious though. Do you realize that while it's true that the greatest commandment is to love God with all ones heart, soul, mind and strength, the broader context of Matthew 22 is about something else?

Perhaps you do. I hope so.

Unfortunately many who call themselves "Christian" are so in name only. To them the two tables of the law, to love God with all ones heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love ones neighbor as ones self, are merely platitudes, but really never put into practice.

I'm sure you know that too.

Also, your first sentence, "This is for the readers who are believers in God, specifically Christians" I find bereft of meaning and truth. Without Christ no one knows God. One can "believe" God exists, which every one does, but without Christ one can "believe in God" all day long and never have a relationship with God.

Point is the entire matter is "specifically" Christian.

@vivify said
Perhaps more emphasis from Christians is needed on the second part of that exchange, where Jesus said the second greatest commandment is to "love your neighbor as yourself".

Matthew 25:35-40:

[quote]For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clot ...[text shortened]... s from loving God.

As Jesus said, by loving others who are in need, you'd be showing love to him.

So what have you done for the poor and hungry lately?

When you got out of bed this morning did you talk to God and tell Him how much you love Him and then go out and love your neighbor and find a shoeless beggar and starving children?

Or are you just here to find out what's wrong with everyone else?

@secondson said
So what have you done for the poor and hungry lately?

When you got out of bed this morning did you talk to God and tell Him how much you love Him and then go out and love your neighbor and find a shoeless beggar and starving children?

Or are you just here to find out what's wrong with everyone else?

That post was not an indictment of anyone. It was just a thought to help.

It seems God wants love of of him shown through action. Maybe a reminder that loving others may help bring Christians closer to God could help.

It would also be a great example to the world what Christianity can be if helping others was a core part of a Christian's life. After all, it's the second greatest commandment. Therefore, it should be, after loving God, be the most important thing Christians do with their lives.

@secondson said
"Can it be improved"?

That's what it's all about suzianne, don't you think? The truth is it's not about the perfection of performance, but the perfection of relationship.

I'm curious though. Do you realize that while it's true that the greatest commandment is to love God with all ones heart, soul, mind and strength, the broader context of Matthew 22 is about something ...[text shortened]... g and never have a relationship with God.

Point is the entire matter is "specifically" Christian.

Why are you in here busting my chops over this, especially as it seems you agree?

I'll take these points in order.

Matthew 22 is about 3 parables. If you think there is some mysterious over-arching theme here, I'm all ears.

I've posted many many times about Christians who miss the point, much like the Pharisees. "Do what I say, not what I do" seems to be their motto. Yes, platitudes. For far too many Christians, their entire faith is empty platitudes with no thought given to actual content.

And finally, yes, yes, I get that you feel that those who do not believe in God or the Christ are some kind of sub-human, but I don't. I'm merely trying to deflect the omni-present "you're not speaking to me, I don't believe in gods, as you know" by telling these people right off that my thread is not speaking to them. What I certainly didn't expect was to have Christians ream me out over this thread.

@secondson said
So what have you done for the poor and hungry lately?

When you got out of bed this morning did you talk to God and tell Him how much you love Him and then go out and love your neighbor and find a shoeless beggar and starving children?

Or are you just here to find out what's wrong with everyone else?

What's the point of this?

Christians should just be about helping others without shaming other people, especially non-Christians with this "Oh, well, I don't see you helping out, what have you done for them?" nonsense. I live in a red state. I'm used to seeing selfish people everywhere I go. When I make my rounds to find homeless people who need help, during the day in downtown Phoenix I see well-dressed people, obviously affluent, just stepping over or around these homeless people, trying to act like they aren't even there. This is normal now. Shaming these people doesn't change anything. Every week I see non-Christians helping in shelters and food kitchens. Sad to say, sometimes more of them are not Christian than those who are. His point is well-taken. Christians are commanded to see after their neighbor. But even then, some can't or won't be bothered. Just like what Jesus said to Thomas (blessed are those who have not seen, yet still believe), I say blessed are those who are not commanded, yet still help their fellow man.

@suzianne said
Why are you in here busting my chops over this, especially as it seems you agree?

I'll take these points in order.

Matthew 22 is about 3 parables. If you think there is some mysterious over-arching theme here, I'm all ears.

I've posted many many times about Christians who miss the point, much like the Pharisees. "Do what I say, not what I do" seems to be their mot ...[text shortened]... eaking to them. What I certainly didn't expect was to have Christians ream me out over this thread.

"I get that you feel that those who do not believe in God or the Christ are some kind of sub-human, but I don't."

This is where I exit. You couldn't have said anything dumber or further from the truth.

Parables? Your problem isn't that you're an unbeliever suzianne. Your problem is you're a misbeliever full of anti-Christian bias. Verse 34 through the end of the chapter, from which you quoted in you OP, and to which I replied and commented, is not a parable.

And you misread my intent as well if you think I was "busting your chops" or "reaming" you out.

But if you read your own opening post you'll see just how sanctimonious it is.

@suzianne said
This is for the readers who are believers in God, specifically Christians. I'm not going to deride atheists who want to post in this thread, but frankly, I'm not writing this for you. I thought I'd just make that clear at the outset.

This thread is about this snippet of scripture:

'But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were ...[text shortened]... to the "more abundant life" that He promises.

Do you love Him, or not? What is holding you back?

Please be seated.

I think that what holds some Christians back is cleverness with words, a legalistic approach, maybe even their scholasticism, along with pride, arrogance, and the lingering combativeness that was a necessary part of our evolution.

In non-Christian terms, if there is a Cosmic Intelligence with some kind of personhood Who laid all this out, then of course it would be polite and beneficial to thank It for everything.

In Christian terms it would also be polite and beneficial to thank God for everything.

As for love, if we cannot love with our own love, perhaps we should try to relax into God and love with God's Love, which permeates everything, even the things we don't like, even our enemies or disagreeable people we can't control or people who are just in our way.

@SecondSon
I wonder if you could read your own words in this thread, as if they were addressed to yourself.

Now go in peace or abide in peace to love and serve the Lord.

@secondson said
So what have you done for the poor and hungry lately?

When you got out of bed this morning did you talk to God and tell Him how much you love Him and then go out and love your neighbor and find a shoeless beggar and starving children?

Or are you just here to find out what's wrong with everyone else?

Were you talking to the mirror when you wrote that?

@secondson said
"I get that you feel that those who do not believe in God or the Christ are some kind of sub-human, but I don't."

This is where I exit. You couldn't have said anything dumber or further from the truth.

Parables? Your problem isn't that you're an unbeliever suzianne. Your problem is you're a misbeliever full of anti-Christian bias. Verse 34 through the end of the chapt ...[text shortened]... "reaming" you out.

But if you read your own opening post you'll see just how sanctimonious it is.

Speaking of sanctimony . . .

The only food that is important is God's truth, which allows people to cloth themselves in the armor of righteousness.

Of course most around here would not know God's truth if they read the words for themselves. They are blind.

@eladar said
The only food that is important is God's truth, which allows people to cloth themselves in the armor of righteousness.

Of course most around here would not know God's truth if they read the words for themselves. They are blind.

The Word of God is written into the substance and texture of the Cosmos.

The little scriptures of this or that religion or planet are secondary.