And The Greatest of These ...

God's Word, especially passages like Psalm 119, urge passion, and even zeal, in our response to His revelation. After all, it contains, in finite form, God's infinite mind. The Bible, however, is nothing as long as it remains only ink on paper. His Holy Spirit transforms those static impressions into His living, holy, sufficient Word when a human mind reads, absorbs and meditates on them, and not before. But even then, the finite number of decidedly finite, human minds can only glean a finite, albeit astronomical, amount of Truth from those holy words. That leaves the surface of His Word unscratched by all our human digging. Since we humans seem motivated more by fear than by conviction, I must admit to a fear concerning the many campaigns to defend God's Word and the teachings it contains. 1Co 8:1 says, "... Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth." We must guard against that pride in our knowledge, our work, our scholarship and our teachings. We must exercise even more zeal in guarding against such puffing up than we exercise in our quest for, and proclaiming of, Truth. When the Pharisee lawyer asked Yeshua which was 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. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:37-40) Of all the legal intricacies Yeshua could have expounded; of all the New Testament principles He could have emphasized, he chose to teach love's preeminence. Regardless how vigorously we defend God's beloved Word, we must first obey His Greatest Commandments. If we fail in that commission we instantly adopt the pharisaical spirit that impaled Yeshua to His ignominious death. If we fail to FIRST love God, which includes loving what He expressed of Himself in creation, we have failed His law in all respects. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8) Simon Peter's simple statement exemplifies the depth of God's Word, because in those few words he summarized the entire Bible. God's love for humanity, expressed through Yeshua's sacrifice, covered the multitude of sins. Praise the eternal, self-existent God!