jesus invented grammar, he knows how to use it.

I keep returning to the verse in Matthew 22. Largely because, well, it's important. But also because this is all part of one journal entry I wrote, and I'm breaking it into snippets (...such a fun word).

I want to focus today on the order of the verse, or rather - permit me to go a bit English-nerd for a moment - the syntax. Jesus divides the law in two: 1. love God, THEN 2. love others. Don't miss it, friends; the order is paramount.

Only when we humble ourselves and being to grasp how high, how deep, how wide is God's love for us, and how little we deserve it, do we enable ourselves to pour that love out on others. We have no right to it to begin with, so why would we hoard God's love so jealously for ourselves?

Also, we must tap into the love of Christ before we can love others, because without it we exhaust ourselves. God's love is so contrary to human nature that it's impossible to sustain on our own. If we try to love others unconditionally, they are bound to disappoint us, fail us, not return our love, which leaves us giving love without receiving love. God's love must be our delight and our strength to resist anger or bitterness when faced with the innate inadequacies of humanity.

Hence, the importance of syntax. :)