In last weeks lesson we were inspired by Pauls words describing the gift of God's love. We learned that without
love the other spiritual gifts and good deeds we do have no meaning. In this lesson we will focus on how we are to love
God.
28 One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, "What
commandment is the foremost of all?"
29 Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD;
30 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.'
31 "The second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
32 The scribe said to Him, "Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM;
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 HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
34 When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." (I)After
that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.
Mark 12:28-34 (New American Standard Bible)
 V 28. Did you realize that the Jewis religious leaders had identified over 600 individual
commandments of the Mosiac Law? Although they believed all were binding, they
debated which were more important and which were less important. Sometimes they tried to sum up the whole Law with a
single command. It was a scribe who next approched Jesus with a question. (the accounts in Matthew and Luke
have the question being asked by 'an authority on the law' or a lawyer) It is debated whether this question was asked
in sincerity or was intended to trap Jesus. Whichever it was, Jesus was asked to choose 1 commandment from among hundreds
as the most important.
V 29-30. What Jesus replied was NOT one of the Ten Commandments, it wasn't even from the Mosaic law.
Jesus quotes the Shema, a prayer recited by pious Jews every morning and evening: Shema
Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad. It means “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.” (
Deuteronomy 6:4.) The
Shema leads into a section called the V’ahavta, which says, “You shall love the
Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” This is what
Jesus chose as the most important.
We might note that Jesus adds 'with all your mind', suggesting that the religious leaders of that day were using
their minds for other things. Or parhaps it was added for emphesis. You are to love God with everything you are; your complete being. Are you
tempted to say "I'll love God with everything except _____, but that I'll reserve for myself"?
V. 31 Then Jesus went beyond the question He had been asked. He wraps up His answer by adding a second
teaching from Hebrew scripture - Leviticus 19:18:
"Love your neighbor as yourself" Jesus broadened the definition of neighbor from meaning "other
Jews" (the context of Leviticus 19:18) to meaning "all people" (Luke 10:35 - 37). We are to understand our calling and
the TREMENDOUS love God had for us. In turn, we are to love our fellow humans, and thus to love Lord.
If we truly love God with all we are, and let the love of God dwell in us, can we help but love all mankind?
V 32 - 33. Then the scribe acknowleges that Jesus was speaking the truth, adding that these things were "far more
important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices." One might ask why this scribe saw this truth and the others
didn't.
V 34. Jesus saw that this man had a spiritual understanding that brought him close to embracing God's kingdom.
We do not know if this scribe entered into a relationship with God, but he had definately been pointed in the right dirction.
Jesus had effectively frustrated all attemps to trick, trap or discredit Him. No one else dared question Him further.
The Sanhedrin was convinced that more drastic measures were needed. Those measures were already being plotted in private.
Think about it:
If you could ask Jesus just one question, what would you ask Him?
How do you love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength?
What do these verses say to you about God?
What do you need most from God right now in your life?
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