Holy Week Love

by Kate Kennedy | published on Mar 30, 2026

Discussion Questions 

  1. Read the conversation between Jesus and his critics in Matthew 22:23-46. Then read the devotional below, “Holy Week Love.”  
  1. What is the significance of the Great Commandments during Holy Week? 
  1. In what aspects of your life do you need to practice love with particular boldness? 
  1. How are Jesus’s strength and peace found through love? 

Devotional 

[Jesus] said to [the lawyer], “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” – Matthew 22:37-39 (NRSV) 

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus discusses the greatest commandment just a few days before his crucifixion.  

Did you know that? I didn’t realize it until recently. I’d always pictured Jesus teaching the greatest commandment to his followers on an idyllic rolling hill, or from a cozy fishing boat, or in the synagogue in Capernaum.  

But no. When he speaks of love, Jesus is in Jerusalem, surrounded by his theological critics, danger in the air. He says we shall love God with all our hearts, souls and minds, and love our neighbors as ourselves, knowing that in three days he will be executed by the state. 

If you’ve ever wondered what the place and function of love is for God, you needn’t look farther than this. In the middle of our Holy Week, Jesus says love is not something we do just when we’re comfortable or safe. Love is what we do when we think they’re going to kill us.  

This Holy Week, take hold of this truth in both hands. Practice lifting it, like a weight at the gym. When you’re angry at the world, do a favor for your next-door neighbor. When you’re afraid—of war, gun violence, climate change, or whatever keeps you up at night—write to your senator, and then call your mom (cousin, best friend) just to say hi. When you feel that white-hot hate, take a warm bath, or eat buttered sourdough toast. Practice the love Jesus leaned on this week. You’ll find his strength. 

Prayer
Holy One, may love be my discipline, the exercise that strengthens me for Your glory. Amen.

Kate KennedyAbout the Author
Rev. Kate Kennedy is a New Hampshire-based UCC pastor pursuing a career in family therapy.