Daily Worship (Jan 19)

Mark 12:28-31
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.”

Devotional Thought:
Love is at the very heart of what it means to follow God. Jesus summed up all of Scripture’s commandments with these two: love God completely and love others sacrificially. Loving God with “all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” means surrendering every part of your life to Him—your passions, decisions, and daily actions. It’s not about partial devotion; it’s a call to total commitment.

The second commandment flows naturally from the first. Loving your neighbor means seeking their good as if it were your own. This love is active, not passive. It mirrors God’s love for us: a love that initiates, sacrifices, and serves. When we recognize how deeply we’ve been loved by God—despite our failures—it inspires us to love Him and others in return. Today, consider: how can you demonstrate a love that reflects God’s heart? Who in your life needs to experience His love through you?

COMMA Study Questions:

1. Context: How do Jesus’ other teachings in Mark 12 and His debates with the religious leaders deepen our understanding of this passage?
2. Observation: What words or phrases are repeated or emphasized, and what do they reveal about the nature of love?
3. Meaning: Why is loving God and others considered the greatest commandment? How do the two commandments relate to one another?
4. Main Idea: How does this passage challenge us to reorient our priorities toward loving God and others?
5. Application: What practical steps can you take today to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? How can you actively love your neighbor?

Prayer:
Lord, You have loved us with a perfect, sacrificial love. Teach me to love You with my whole being—my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help me to reflect that love to my neighbors in tangible and meaningful ways. May Your Spirit guide me to live out these greatest commandments, so my life brings You glory. Amen.

Luke 7:40-47
Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

Devotional Thought:
This passage contrasts two very different responses to Jesus: Simon the Pharisee’s indifference and the sinful woman’s extravagant love. Simon, confident in his own righteousness, shows little honor to Jesus. The woman, aware of her great sin and even greater forgiveness, responds with overwhelming gratitude. Her actions—tears, kisses, and perfume—flow from a heart transformed by grace.

Jesus’ parable of the two debtors illustrates the connection between forgiveness and love. The one who recognizes their greater debt—and the mercy they’ve received—responds with greater love. This mirrors the gospel: when we see the depth of our sin and the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice, our love for Him grows.

Today, let this truth sink in: He who is forgiven much loves much. Reflect on God’s grace in your life and let it inspire you to love Him and others with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Like the woman in this story, let your life be a testimony to the greatness of His forgiveness.

COMMA Study Questions:

1. Context: How does this passage fit into Luke’s broader themes of Jesus’ ministry to sinners and outcasts?
2. Observation: What contrasts do you notice between Simon’s actions and the woman’s actions?
3. Meaning: Why does Jesus say, “Whoever has been forgiven little loves little”? How does forgiveness fuel love?
4. Main Idea: What does this passage teach about the connection between forgiveness and love?
5. Application: How can you respond to God’s forgiveness with greater love for Him and others in your daily life?

Prayer:
Thank you for your forgiveness. I am overwhelmed by the grace you have shown me despite my sin. Help me to respond with love  for you and others. Amen.

1 John 4:9-12
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Devotional Thought:
Love begins with God. In this passage, John reminds us that God’s love is not based on our effort or merit. Instead, it is demonstrated through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. God’s love is proactive, self-giving, and life-giving. Through Jesus, we are offered forgiveness and a new life rooted in His grace.

John then calls us to respond to this incredible love by loving others. When we love one another, we reflect God’s nature, and His love is made complete in us. This means love is not only a command but also evidence of God’s presence in our lives.

How can you love as God loves? It starts by remembering the depth of His forgiveness and grace toward you. As you reflect on His sacrificial love, let it move you to love those around you—not just with words, but with actions that mirror God’s heart.

COMMA Study Questions:

1. Context: How does the surrounding chapter emphasize God’s love as the foundation for Christian life?
2. Observation: What does this passage say about the relationship between God’s love for us and our love for others?
3. Meaning: What does it mean that God’s love is made “complete” in us when we love others?
4. Main Idea: How does this passage show that loving others is both a response to and evidence of God’s love?
5. Application: Who in your life needs to see God’s love through your actions today? How can you show them His love?

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for showing Your love through Jesus’ sacrifice for my sins. I am humbled by the depth of Your grace. Teach me to love others as You have loved me, with a heart that gives selflessly and seeks their good. May my love reflect Your presence in my life and draw others closer to You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.