Wise Words

I had the privilege of working with many amazing people during my 40+ years of full-time ministry. One of those people was a man named Jack Giles. Jack was a gifted leader, a patient teacher, and a brilliant theologian. He cared deeply for the people around him and worked hard at helping people grow more like Jesus. Jack had a saying that I think of often. When a discussion would get “in the weeds” he would sit back and say, “Remember, the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing!”

So – what is the “main thing”?

In Matthew 22 we are told about a fascinating exchange Jesus had with the religious leaders of the day. First the Pharisees tried to trip him up with a question on paying taxes. Then the Sadducees tried to get him with a question about marriage and the resurrection. Then one of the Pharisees, an “expert in the law,” asked Jesus to identify the greatest commandment. Here is Jesus’ reply:

Jesus said, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40 NCV)

First, let’s talk about what Jesus ISN’T saying. He is not saying these are the only commandments that matter. I have heard some people say that you can do whatever you want as long as you love God and love others. That’s not at all what Jesus means. God DOES care about what we think and about how we live, apart from simply being loving. But WHY does he care? We’ll come back to that later.

Jesus IS saying that the commandments (God’s rules about how we should behave and think) are rooted in love for God and love for others. These are inseparable. You can’t say you love God and not love others. You can’t truly love others if you don’t love God. And all we do and think should flow from love: God’s love for us, and our love for him and others. THAT IS THE MAIN THING! God loved us so much that he sent his Son to die for us. That love is given freely to all. When we receive that love it creates love in us. It’s really that simple.

So then why does God care about how we act and think? Love. He loves us so much he wants what is best for us. His commandments are not things we follow to earn his love. They are things we do to live our best life, knowing our loving Father wants what is best for us.

When Christians or churches expect LGBTQ+ people to believe certain things, or act in a certain way, BEFORE they are willing to acknowledge people’s life choices and struggles, and before they accept them as fellow children of God, they are not keeping the main thing the main thing. They have let legalism, or prejudice, or fear become the main thing.

Everything we do as believers and as Christian communities must begin and end in love. That is what is meant when we say, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing!”