Spiritual CliffsNotes

I must make a confession. During a literature course in college, I did not read the assigned books; instead I used CliffsNotes — study guides that present and explain literature in shortened form. Many would criticize my shortcut. There is certainly no substitute for reading the original works in their entirety — I agree. But I must also say that I got a good and concise understanding of these great works.

Jesus must have known that people like me and even the disciples needed a condensed version. Talking with an expert in the law, Jesus affirmed his summation of the 613 commands. The lawyer said,

 
…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, Love your neighbor as yourself.     (Luke 10:27 NIV)

Jesus not only summed up the theory but also the application of the law for His disciples in His Sermon on the Mount when He told them,

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.  (Matthew 7:12 NIV)

All God's laws and commands are worthy of my complete attention. However, for simple-minded people like me, sometimes the Lord’s "CliffsNotes version" helps me to focus my attention. Join me this week in living out simple but powerful instructions from Jesus. 

Sharing the journey with you,