Which brings us to Sadducees, Pharisees and scribes. Have you ever been reading along in the New Testament and wondered, “Who were those guys, and what was their beef with Jesus?” The Sadducees and Pharisees were the chief religious leaders in Jesus’ day, and the scribes are best described as religious lawyers. Every time we see them in the New Testament, they’re either conspiring to have Jesus arrested, or they’re trying to trap Jesus with a tricky question (which, of course, was part of the plan to have Him arrested). However, while they certainly were nuisances to Jesus then, their interaction with Jesus may be more important for us today. In fact, in one exchange in Matthew, we are given a clue regarding what it’s all about.

The What
We pick up the action in the middle of this exchange. Read Matthew 22:34-40 either from your Bible or printed from an online resource. As you read, draw a heart above each instance of the word love, and underline every instruction about how we’re supposed to love.

After you’ve read and marked the passage, look back at what you’ve underlined; list the three things God wants you to use at maximum power (key word: all) in loving Him.
1.
2.
3.

The So What
Here’s a question you probably never thought you’d see in a Bible devo: Have you ever done the Hokey Pokey? When you dance the Hokey Pokey, you put your right hand in and take your right hand out, and then do the same with your left hand.

It’s easy to follow Christ as you would others when doing the Hokey Pokey—hardly ever putting our whole selves in—but that’s what Jesus asks for in Matthew 22.

What are some things in your life that make loving God with all your heart, soul and mind difficult?

Based on the past week, which of the two greatest commandments have you struggled with most? In what ways?

Seal the Deal
In the spaces below, jot some specific, baby-step actions you can take to love the way Jesus said to love. (The more specific you are, the more likely you are to make it happen.) You’ll see an example in each category. As you do these actions, you will soon be loving God with your whole self. You will be experiencing what it’s all about—thankfully not the Hokey Pokey.

Love God with ALL Your Heart
Example: Spend one day consciously reacting to people and events the way you think Jesus would react.

Love God with ALL Your Soul
Example: Spend 10 minutes thinking about nothing except that for which your soul is thirsty.

Love God with ALL Your Mind
Example: Do a media fast. For one day, replace TV, Internet and phone with prayer and time spent in the Word.

Love Your Neighbor as Yourself
Example: Do an act of kindness for someone who can’t return the action.

Barry Shafer has been in youth ministry for more than 25 years. As director of InWord Resources (InWord.org), he has written numerous small-group Bible studies and teen devos and authored Unleashing God’s Word in Youth Ministry (Youth Specialties/Zondervan). He writes the 10 Minutes Column for YouthWorker Journal and lives in Middletown, Ohio, with his wife, Jessica, and newborn son, Reade.