Tag Archives: Greatest Command

Day Forty-Eight with Mark: Mark 12:28-34

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Today we look at Mark 12:28-34:

28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; 33 and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.

24737_24737_8For once, we get someone asking Jesus a legitimate question.  This scribe isn’t coming to test or trick Jesus, he is coming to ask him a real question about belief and what is right.

His question, for a religious leader of the day, would be the most important question that could be asked.  What is the greatest commandment?

The reason why this is such a pressing issue for these religious leaders is because so much of their faith, their understanding and relationship to God is tied up in the commandments.  Those commandments handed to them by God through the Law, and those commandments that religious leaders came up with help them live under their understanding of the Law.

Notice I said to live under their understanding of the Law, not the actual Law.  So much of the Law keeping of Jesus’ day was an additional burden placed upon the backs of people that was never God’s plan or design.

So the question is asked, what is most important.  And Jesus says this.  Of all the things that could be important, Jesus says the most important command is this.  Love.

Love God.

Love neighbor.

Love yourself.

Love.  Love is the height of the Law.  Love is the purpose of the law.  Love is what it all comes down to.  We are called to love God. That means personally, through our own devotional life, as well as publicly, through acts of worship.

We are called to love our neighbor personally, through acts of charity, as well as publicly, gathering together with others to work for the good of others.

And we are called to love ourselves.  You are precious.  You are loved.  You really can’t properly love anyone until you realize that you are worthy of love yourself.

Love of God, love of neighbor, love of self.  This is the height of the law.  May we good law keepers today.  May we love.

Friday we’ll look at Mark 12:35-44.

What questions do you have?  How does this strike you?  Shoot me an email, comment below, or connect with me through social media.

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Tuesday of Holy Week 2012

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On Tuesday of Holy Week, we see Jesus do a lot of teaching. On this day, Jesus spends time teaching.

He teaches the disciples. He teaches the crowd. He teaches even the scribes and the teachers of the law. He knew that His time was drawing short. He knew what awaited Him. And He knew that in these last few days He needed to leave the people with core and the truth of His teaching.

So, on this Tuesday, He teaches on a variety of things. But listen to He really stresses today in Mark 12:28-31:

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Someone asks Him what is the most important of all the commandments. That’s a big question, there are a lot of commandments. But this is what He says in response.

Love. Love of God. Love of neighbor. That’s what the Christian life is supposed to look like. Love.

We are to love God with all that we are. Chase after Him. Seek to know Him better through study, through prayer, though worship. We are to seek to love God with every fiber of our being.

And then we are to take that love that we feel from God, and love each other in the same manner. Love each other, serve each other, forgive each other.

Love of God. Love of neighbor. That sums of the Christian life. The sums up the 10 Commandments. That sums it all up.

Today, may we take this teaching and apply it to our lives. May we love. May we love God. May we love our neighbor. And in doing that we find life, and may we live the way that our Lord intends!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

A New (Old) Command

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I love reading about the life of John the Apostle.  He had an interesting life.

He was one of Jesus’ closest disciples.  In the Gospel the he wrote, he doesn’t even list himself by name, but instead calls himself the disciple that Jesus loved.  He was the disciple that remained at the foot of the cross, and after Good Friday, Mary went with John to his home.

But, he also had a temper. And had some pride issues. After a town rejected Jesus, he asked Jesus to call down fire from heaven upon them, and Jesus rebuked him for it.

Later, he and his brother James were arguing over who would be greatest in the kingdom, and Jesus told them that they were missing the point.

So, we see that John had great moments of faithfulness, but also many faults.

I like him because he sounds like all of us. Moments of faithfulness, moments of failure.

And in this we see today, John tell us what he had learned

I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.

Everything else fades. John had done more with his life than most of us would ever wish to.  He had seem more than we could ever imagine.  He had literally walked with Jesus, and had been a pillar in the birth of the church.

And as he wrote to others about what mattered most in the Christian faith, that is what he said – love.  It is the greatest of all the commandments.  Everything else pales in comparison to love.  It is the fulfillment, purpose, and whole of the law.

So, today, let us place others ahead of ourselves.  Let us look first to them.  Let us do unto others as we would have them do unto us.  Let us love.  And in love, we find our purpose for our lives.

Today, let us be an example of God’s love to everyone.  Let us shine forth that love to everyone.  Let us radiate that love to everyone.  You were made for that.  And that is God’s greatest commandment for you.

Today, let us love.