The whole embodiment of Christ’s teachings focuses on a true understanding of love. Jesus said the greatest commandment was to “love God with all your heart, soul, and mind and to love each other as yourself.” But, if your concept of love is unclear, you may grammatically know the words but not faithfully practice the action. To righteously love God, Christ teaches about sacrifice and priorities:
“Matthew 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
Furthermore, Jesus said that the greatest measurement of love is directly related to personal sacrifice.
“John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
God gives us our spouses, our children, our families to help teach us how to love. Yet, ask yourself, would you lay down your life for a family member? He increases our faith by giving us a church family and says:
“Matthew 12:48 -50 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
To truly understand the love Jesus instructed us to display, to show, to put into action, we must be willing to lay our lives down for others – even our enemies. Sacrifice means to let others have their way no matter how selfish it may appear. Sacrifice means to deny yourself! Deny your personal ambitions, goals, and agendas to serve someone else — God first, then each other, you LAST!
Remember always! Jesus gave up His life even though we were sinners. He never complained as we prosecuted and convicted His innocence, as we flogged and scourged Him, as we gouged Him with a crown of thorns, as we mocked His struggle up Calvary’s hill carrying the cross, as we used hammers to nail Him naked to a cross, as we scoffed and scorned Him in His agonizing embarrassment on the cross, as we demanded a display of miracles to prove His divinity while He was upon the cross. Through all the notorious torment and affliction we laid upon Him, He still prayed for us. “Father, Forgive them…” That is Love! That is Sacrifice! He put us first – before Himself. What a Savior! What a Wonderful Maker! What a God!
