“Deep and Wide.” Now that you’re humming that old kids’ song, you’re probably remembering that it refers to the fountain of God’s love, His heart is towards all people as it has been since the very beginning! Long before Jesus came to this earth, Jeremiah the prophet wrote (31:3), “The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.’” He pursues us because he loves us!
And he also calls us to love as well! Matthew 22:36-39 hearkens back to centuries old words from Deuteronomy and Leviticus, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
In another gospel passage, Luke 10:25-37, the parable of the Good Samaritan is prompted by a really important question, “Who is my neighbor?” In true Jesus fashion, he answers this question with a story and finishes by asking the man to ponder and answer this himself.
Please come join us for the upcoming adult education class as together we ponder how God pursues His people and how we can best love our ‘neighbors’. When Jesus commanded his followers in Matt. 28:18-20 to go and make disciples of all nations, it was, after all, just an outworking of His long-game, overarching story of love.
