TWO FOR ONE
MARK 12:29-34
MARK 12:29-34 NKJV
29 Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
32 So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33 And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."
34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."
But after that no one dared question Him.
OBSERVATION:
Growing up, I loved lists. I wanted to know what the tallest buildings were. What were the longest rivers, biggest dogs, largest lakes. I could sit and read Guinness Book of World Records for hours at a time.
So, when a scribe asked Jesus which was the first and most important commandment, I love that Jesus gave him two. A list. Great!
Loving God was first on the list. Loving Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. That pretty much covers all the touch points of our lives.
And the second commandment, which was also important, was to love your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus said that no other commandments eclipsed these two.
The scribe who had asked the question was not trying to trick Jesus or argue with Him. He was one of the rare scribes who understood what Jesus was all about. He recognized that loving God and loving people was most important. Even more important than the ritual burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Jesus acknowledged his wise answer. This guy was close to getting it.
APPLICATION:
Even though we are living in the 'day of grace,' no longer under Jewish laws, these two commandments still stand.
We still are to love God with our whole being and make Him first in our lives. I am convinced that loving God is something we can always grow in.
And we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. In fact, Jesus even expanded that love to include loving one another as He loved us.
These two commandments are still in play. Love God, love one another. this is how we are to operate in God's kingdom.
PRAYER:
Dear Father, teach me what it means to love You with my whole being. And thank You that I have the capacity to love others with an unselfish love.