“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”  Confucius (Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher.)

“When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.  Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:34-40

When was the last time you sat down in desperation or frustration and said something like “Why is life so complicated?” If you are like me, it probably was not that long ago. Life seems to go faster and faster the older we get, and many times it appears to get more and more complicated. Is it possible that Confucius was right – that life is simple, but we make it complicated?

The Pharisees and the Sadducees were not happy with the teachings of Jesus.  They were steeped in the laws of Moses, and as such were religious “experts” in enforcing and following the laws of faith and life. For example, the Sabbath rules were established to give the people parameters for what they could and could not do that might be considered work on the day of the Sabbath.  Here are just a few of the Prohibited Sabbath activities:

Writing two or more letters
Erasing two or more letters
Building
Demolishing
Extinguishing a fire
Kindling a fire
Putting the finishing touch on an object

So, when the Pharisees came to Jesus to ask him “Which commandment in the law is the greatest?”, Jesus does what he usually does – he tries to simplify his teaching. But, his answer is brilliant. He states what today we call the “Shema”, or one of the central teachings spoken still in Sabbath worship for Jews:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our G-d, the Lord is one ( the Lord alone).  And you shall love the Lord, your G-d, with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your means.” Deuteronomy 6:4-5

My friends, we need not complicate our faith through numerous “dos” and “don’ts”.  Jesus reminds us that faith begins with “Loving the Lord, and Loving your neighbor as yourself”.  In other words, faith begins with love.  When we start each day reminding ourselves that G-d loves us beyond all understanding, and then remember that we are to love all people with the love that G-d has for us, then the rest of the day and the rest of our actions will come out of that love. Yes, everyday life is complicated, but our faith need not be complicated with “right” doing or “right” understanding. We start from love, and allow that verb, that action “to love” lead us in all our actions, decisions, and our relationships.

Pastor Dave