[Jesus said:] "This is My commandment: love one another, as I have loved you. There is no greater love than this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends, if you do what I command you." [And this:] "Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."
   On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
   "What is written in the Law?" He replied. "How do you read it?"
   He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, love your neighbor as yourself.' "
   "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." [On another occasion] one of the teachers of the law came and heard [the Sadducees and Jesus] 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."
   "Well said, Teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but Him. To love Him with all your heart, 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." When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask Him any more questions.

Taken from Jn. 15, Mt. 5, Lk. 10, Mk. 12, The New English Bible and
The New International Version. For free Lifescope book, write to Box 1575,
Carlsbad, NM 88221. Please send $1.00 for postage and handling.