One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating.  Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked Him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  There is no commandment greater than these.”

–Mark 12:28-31

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

–1 Corinthians 13:1-3

We prove ourselves to be knowledgeable, diligent and competent.  We strive unto astounding successes.  We defy expectations.  We speak truth.  We do good to the poor and even suffer for what we believe.

But do we truly love all who we meet, as Jesus would—as Jesus Loved us?

“That’s too much!  I’m already doing as much as I can.”  That’s most likely true.  But do you understand what love is?  Love is “too much.”  The Love we received was “too much”—more than we deserved, more than Jesus could bear.

And we are called to walk in His Footsteps, literally take up our cross and follow after Him.  

Look to the Cross.  Take in the impossible.  Oh, take in the “too much” He gave for us!  We must look and look until we are filled with His Love—until we overflow with it.

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

–John 15:12 (nkjv)

Copyrighted material, used with permission.