Wisdom and Love

The Lord’s Table: Bible Study/Prayer meeting

(Every Wednesday 6-7 pm in the Chapel)

St Paul’s Church

The Anglican Church of Canada

26 October 2011

Opening Prayer

Theme: Wisdom and Love

Topic: Love your neighbour as yourself

Reading: Matthew 22:34-46

³⁴But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. ³⁵Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, ³⁶Master, which is the great commandment in the law? ³⁷Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. ³⁸This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. ⁴⁰On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. ⁴¹While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ⁴²Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. ⁴³He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, ⁴⁴The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? ⁴⁵If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? ⁴⁶And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

Questions/Discussion

1) What was the Pharisees’ motive in questioning Jesus?

Mark 12:28

“One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?”

2) Why did Jesus follow-up his response to the Pharisees with a question?

Matthew 13:54

“He came to his home town and began to teach the people^* in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power?”

Job 28:12

“But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?”

Psalm 111:10

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practise it^* have a good understanding. His praise endures for ever.”

3) Why and how do we love God with our whole heart, soul and mind?

1 John 4:19-20

“We love^* because he first loved us. ²⁰Those who say, ‘I love God’, and hate their brothers or sisters,^* are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister^* whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.”

4) What does loving others as ourself imply?

Leviticus 19:18

“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord.”

Matthew 5:44-48

“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. ⁴⁶For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? ⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers and sisters,^* what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

5) How are questions 3 and 4 related?

1 John 4:7-18

“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. ⁹God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. ¹⁰In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. ¹²No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

13          By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Saviour of the world. ¹⁵God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. ¹⁶So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. ¹⁷Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgement, because as he is, so are we in this world. ¹⁸There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.”

5/b) Why do we have to love God and other people?

John 15:12

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Intercession

Conclusion

Our calling is to love God and others in our daily life. As ambassadors of Christ through love we show that we are the light and salt of the world.  Through love we make the world a better place.

Closing Prayer

Teach us Lord to love as you have loved us. To love You with our whole heart, soul and mind; and to love our neighbour as ourself in Jesus name. Amen.