Prepared by William Earnhardt for Sabbath School class, March 22, 2025.

Main Theme: As we have seen, love and justice go together; they are inseparable. God loves justice. Accordingly, if we love God, we will love justice, as well.

Read in Class: Matthew 19:16-23 and Matthew 22:34-40. Ask the class to define the main idea of this passage.

Study: How does Jesus Answer the lawyers question? How do Jesus’ answers to the rich young ruler’s questions relate to His answers to the lawyer’s question in Matthew 22?

Apply: Though we might not all be called to sell all that we have, as was this rich young ruler, what might you, personally, be clinging to that if you don’t give up, could lead to your eternal ruin?

Share: Your friend says, so we don’t have to keep the Ten Commandments anymore. All we have to do is love God and our neighbor. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Psalm 135:13-19 and Zechariah 7:9-12. Ask the class what the ideas in these passages are?

Study:  According to the prophet Zechariah in this passage, what does God decry? How does it and the sin of idolatry relate to the two great commandments?

Apply: Read 1 John 4:20-21. How do you explain why love for God cannot be separated from love for others? How do you understand this unbreakable link?

Share: Your friend says that we can become legalistic when observing the letter of the law, but can we also be legalistic when doing acts of compassion? Why or why not? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Psalm 82:1-8 and Matthew 23:23-30. Ask the class to identify the common thread in these passage?

Study: How do these passages express God’s concern for justice in the world? What does Jesus teach here about what is most important? What do you think He means when He refers to “weightier matters”?

Apply: What would our families and churches look like if we focused on Micah 6:8 and intentionally put it into practice in both word and deed? In whatever context you are in, how could the application of these principles be made manifest better?

Share: Your friend asks, “If you were to focus on the “weightier matters” today, what would that look like as opposed to whatever “tithe of mint and anise and cummin” we might be focusing on instead?” What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Luke 10:25-37. Have the class identify the main idea of this passage.

Study: What is this passage saying in light of the cry of the prophets for mercy and justice and of the kinds of injustices that different people groups have inflicted on “others” throughout human history?

Apply: What can we learn from the life and ministry of Jesus about reaching out to those in need? Even if we can’t perform miracles as He did, for many hurt people how could our help be deemed “miraculous” enough?

Share: Your friend says the story about the Good Samaritan does not apply today, because it can actually be dangerous helping people in today’s world? What do you tell your friend? How can we help bring others to repentance and salvation by showing God’s goodness in our community today?