We are created in the image of God. In Genesis, chapter one, responding to what has been spoken into existence, God says, “It is good.” Made in the image of God, we are infused with the generosity of God’s love. We are shaped by God’s daily abundance, all of which is grounded in God’s unconditional love.
In this week’s Gospel lesson from Matthew, the religious authorities are caught in their own egos. They continue to test Jesus, seeking to trip him up. The authorities are not seeking a genuine answer to the question they ask. Jesus honors them and continues to respond in the assumption of goodness and the possibility of generosity and love.
When Jesus is asked about the greatest commandment, he returns to the center: love God with heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. Love here is not simple emotion. Love, as Martin Luther wrote, is what defines God as the creator, savior, and sustainer. Love creates reality, shapes abundance, and gives life. Luther wrote: “The love of God does not find, but creates, that which is pleasing to it” (Luther’s Works, vol. 31, p.57).
The religious authorities are struggling with Jesus because he does not fit into their worldview. Jesus responds to them in love. Through Jesus’ love, he even makes the religious leaders lovable. It is God’s love that is at work in, with, and under all, creating beauty, opening us to wonder, and inviting our prayer, praise, and thanksgiving.
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Pastor Peter