Sabbath: Love and Justice: The Two Greatest Commandments
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 15th of March 2025
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study: Matthew 22:34-40, Zechariah 7:9-12, Psalms 82:1-8, Micah 6:8, Matthew 23:23-30, Luke 10:25-37.
Memory Text:
“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4:20, NKJV).
Though we have confidence that God will make all things right in the end, it still matters what we, as Christians, do in the here and now. Though there may be many injustices and evils that God will not now eradicate (because of the parameters of the cosmic conflict), this doesn’t mean that we can’t be used to help alleviate whatever suffering and evil we come across, at least to whatever degree possible. In fact, we are obligated, as Christians, to do just that.
As we have seen, love and justice go together; they are inseparable. God loves justice. Accordingly, if we love God, we will love justice, as well.
Likewise, if we love God, we will love one another. Part of loving one another is sharing a concern for the well-being of those around us. When others are afflicted by poverty, oppression, or any kind of injustice, we should be concerned. When others are oppressed, we should not turn a blind eye. Instead, we should ask ourselves what we can do, individually and corporately, to advance God’s love and justice in a way that reflects to our broken world our Lord’s perfect character of righteousness and love.
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 22.
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The cosmic scale of the battle between Good and Evil often overwhelms us and we sometimes feel that we should give up in despair. God does not expect us to win the battle - he has already done that. But he has left us with a task in this conflict. Here is something to think about this week:
How can human beings who are born with a strong inclination towards selfishness and evil doing, become loving and just? The power for becoming loving and just is not within mortal beings, but within the one whose nature is love and justice (God). If we are in Christ, and Christ in us, love and just will be our nature. It is impossible to embrace love and justice outside Jesus Christ.
"I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]" - Philippians 4:13 (Amplified Bible).