Editor’s Note: Joel Renner is the CEO of RENNER Ministries. Alongside his father, Joel has actively participated for many years in nearly every facet of the daily operations of the ministry. Joel resides in Moscow, Russia, with his wife and two sons.

Walking in Love and Showing Christ to Your Neighbor

Jesus said in Mark 12:28-34

Now one of the scribes had come up and heard their debate. Noticing how well Jesus had answered them, he asked Him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”

Jesus replied, “This is the most important: ‘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.’h No other commandment is greater than these.”

“Right, Teacher,” the scribe replied. “You have stated correctly that God is One and there is no other but Him,

and to love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, which is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

When Jesus saw that the man had answered wisely, He said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

And no one dared to question Him any further.

Wow, this is a big deal. Jesus just said that to love the Lord with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.

Jesus obviously things how we treat the Lord and each other is important. We all know the Golden rule and it is from Matthew 7:12 and is says “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” So, treat other like you would want to be treated if we did just that we would be in good shape but I think Jesus always calls us to go the extra mile and we know that what ever we sow is what we will reap.

So, if you want forgiveness then forgive. If you want help be a helping person. And when you give or forgive or do anything for your neighbor go the extra mile especially if you are dealing with non-believers so that through your acts they can always say that Christians have something they need.

A good question to ask yourself is: If Jesus was watching me would I be nicer, would I be more polite, would I have been more professional, would I have forgiven?

Joel Renner