AVAILABILITY IN AN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

10/4/87
AVAILABILITY IN AN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT
MATTHEW 22: 34 - 40
(PAGE 1446 "COME ALIVE BIBLE")

JESUS CHRIST has defined for us one of our greatest
opportunities for joy, gladness, and extreme delight. He did it
in a most unusual circumstance. A religious leader who was a
lawyer asked Him a complex question which by the standards of
His day could not be answered in any way to avoid incurring the
wrath of some group. He asked, "Teacher, what is the great
commandment of the law?" (Matt. 22: 36).
The religious scribes said there were 613 laws: 248 affirmative
and 365 prohibitions. Different little groups existed that
defended various ones of these as the most important. There was
even one group that advocated the law requiring a fringe on a
garment was the most important.
Jesus answered by quoting the Shema from Deut. 6:5. This passage
was quoted twice daily by all religious Jews. In summary it
requires that we love the Lord uninhibitedly with every facet of
our personality. "You shall love the Lord your God with all
your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matt.
22:37).
Jesus had answered safely but He didn't quit without adding a
corollary from Lev. 19:18, "And the second is like it: 'You
shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22: 39).
By fusing the two commandments Jesus showed us that the wayto
evidence fulfilling the first is by practicing the second. The
two serve as two hinges on one door of obedience.
Every Christian should consider self as engaged in full-time
Intensive Care work. The chu ...

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