Pilgrim Uniting Church, Adelaide SA SUN 31-OCT-2021 - 11.00 AM Sermon Peter Russell Pentecost 23 – When some religious leaders were debating with Jesus over hypothetical points of Jewish law, trying to compromise him over technicalities, another religious leader approached with a genuine question: "What would you say is the most important commandment?". He was delighted with the answer he received – first, to love God with everything you have; and second, to love your neighbour as yourself. Jesus let him know that he was getting very close to entering the kingdom of heaven. But surely giving your whole self over to God, and having to love both your neighbours and yourself, would be impossible? The sermon discusses the relationships between Rule 1 (loving God), and Rule 2 (loving neighbours). If we believe that every person is made in the image of God, the act of loving your neighbour is akin to loving God. God first desires love – love of yourself; learning to be true to yourself; love to those around you; and love to those afar. Love can be, and often must be, sacrificial if it is anything more than niceness or warm fuzzy feelings. For love of God, for love of creation and love of neighbour, we must care for the earth so it might be restored and flourish – so that all that make it their home might have fullness of life. Mark 12: 28-34 Playing Time   –   22:38