The Daily Devotional of The Upper Room in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Love Your Neighbor" for Thursday, February 23, 2017 with Scripture Mark 12:28-31

The Daily Devotional of The Upper Room in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Love Your Neighbor" for Thursday, February 23, 2017 with Scripture Mark 12:28 One of the Torah-teachers came up and heard them engaged in this discussion. Seeing that Yeshua answered them well, he asked him, “Which is the most important mitzvah of them all?” 29 Yeshua answered, “The most important is,
‘Sh’ma Yisra’el, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad [Hear, O Isra’el, the Lord our God, the Lord is one], 30 and you are to love Adonai your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your understanding and with all your strength.’[Mark 12:30 Deuteronomy 6:4–5]
31 The second is this:
‘You are to love your neighbor as yourself.’[Mark 12:31 Leviticus 19:18]
There is no other mitzvah greater than these.”
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The king will say to those at his right hand, “I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”[Matthew 25:36 (NRSV)]
I have been a regular reader of The Upper Room for over eight years. I feel comforted and strengthened in my faith by reserving 30 minutes of my day to pray, read, and reflect on the word of God, our guide and protector.
Through my devotional reading, I have come to believe that God calls all of us to help our neighbors. By helping others, we follow Christ’s example and reflect his love to the world. One day I decided to follow this call by visiting a young man who had been in prison for more than a year. When I arrived, I saw people who were in need of spiritual and material care.
This experience reminded me that committing to social action is something everyone can do. As Christians we can offer help not only by giving material goods but also through prayers, spiritual encouragement, and acts of grace. After all, offering compassion to those in need is a gift to Christ as well.
The Author: Anabela Couto de Castro Valente (Luanda, Angola)
Thought for the Day: What will I do today to help a neighbor?
Prayer: O God, help us to show your love and care to those who are in difficult or desperate situations. As Jesus taught us, we pray, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil” (Luke 11:2-4, KJV). Amen.
Prayer focus: Prisoners

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