Love in Two Directions
Scripture: “And he said to him, ‘You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself.'” (Luke 10.27, ESV)
The greatest commandment has two parts, and Martha and Mary each embodied one of them. Martha was loving her neighbor through acts of service – preparing food, creating comfort, showing practical care. Mary was loving God by sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to his teaching. Both responses were good, but they were incomplete without the other.
Jesus never intended for us to choose between loving God and loving our neighbor. These two commandments are like the two chambers of a heart – both essential, both working together to sustain spiritual life. The problem arises when we try to love our neighbor without first being grounded in God’s love for us, or when we claim to love God while neglecting the needs of those around us.
Mary’s choice was called “better” or the “good portion” because it addressed the first and greatest commandment. When we truly know God’s love for us through Christ, our service to others flows naturally from that foundation. We serve not to earn love but because we are loved. We give not from emptiness but from fullness.
In rural communities, this balance is especially important. The demands of farming, family, and community can easily overwhelm us if we’re not regularly renewed by God’s Word and presence. When we prioritize listening to Jesus, our work becomes worship rather than mere duty.
Application: Evaluate your current balance between loving God and loving your neighbor. Are you serving others from a heart filled with God’s love, or are you running on empty? How can you better integrate these two aspects of love in your daily life?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us to love you with all our hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Show us how these two commandments work together in our daily lives. In Christ’s name. Amen.
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