The Greatest Commandment
The Greatest Commandment
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 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: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” 32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
Reflection:
Although many of the teachers of the Law were far from understanding and spent there time trying to trap Jesus, this one was intrigued and curious. We might call him a "seeker" today. He was opened minded enough to press further into who Jesus was and what he taught. So he asked Jesus what the most important commandment was. Of course there were Ten Commandments, and they were all equally important, but Jesus summed up the intent of the Law. In the first part when Jesus says, "Hear O Israel, The Lord our God, The Lord is One, he is quoting the Shema prayer. This prayer was at the heart of Jewish worship, and the centerpiece of the daily morning and evening prayers. It was also the prayer Jewish parents recited with their children when they went to bed at night. It might be likened to the Lord's Prayer for Christians.
In this way Jesus was identifying with the Jewish faith and showing how what He was teaching was a fulfillment of their faith. Jesus also added to love your neighbor as yourself. The key there being it is only as we love God first with all that we are, can we be in a position to love others in the same way. When the man affirmed what Jesus was saying, Jesus told him he was not far from the kingdom of God. We might say Jesus met him where he was at and encouraged him to keep on seeking. Jesus often did this, as with the person who said, "I believe help my unbelief!"
This is a good thing that older, more mature Christians should remember. There was probably a time when you maybe didn't have all the answers, and someone took the time to bring you along at the proper pace. We should always remain humble in our Christian walk, and be slow to judge and quick to make the best possible construction on our neighbor's behavior. In this way, we can fulfill Jesus' commandment to love one another as we love ourselves.
As you think about this passage, who in your life may God be calling you to reach out to? As you love others as yourself, God will always be leading us to love those He is calling into a deeper relationship with Him through Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus thank you for showing us the Father's love. We can love because you first loved us. Help is to extend is same kind of agape love to those in our path today. In Your name, Amen.
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 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: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” 32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
Reflection:
Although many of the teachers of the Law were far from understanding and spent there time trying to trap Jesus, this one was intrigued and curious. We might call him a "seeker" today. He was opened minded enough to press further into who Jesus was and what he taught. So he asked Jesus what the most important commandment was. Of course there were Ten Commandments, and they were all equally important, but Jesus summed up the intent of the Law. In the first part when Jesus says, "Hear O Israel, The Lord our God, The Lord is One, he is quoting the Shema prayer. This prayer was at the heart of Jewish worship, and the centerpiece of the daily morning and evening prayers. It was also the prayer Jewish parents recited with their children when they went to bed at night. It might be likened to the Lord's Prayer for Christians.
In this way Jesus was identifying with the Jewish faith and showing how what He was teaching was a fulfillment of their faith. Jesus also added to love your neighbor as yourself. The key there being it is only as we love God first with all that we are, can we be in a position to love others in the same way. When the man affirmed what Jesus was saying, Jesus told him he was not far from the kingdom of God. We might say Jesus met him where he was at and encouraged him to keep on seeking. Jesus often did this, as with the person who said, "I believe help my unbelief!"
This is a good thing that older, more mature Christians should remember. There was probably a time when you maybe didn't have all the answers, and someone took the time to bring you along at the proper pace. We should always remain humble in our Christian walk, and be slow to judge and quick to make the best possible construction on our neighbor's behavior. In this way, we can fulfill Jesus' commandment to love one another as we love ourselves.
As you think about this passage, who in your life may God be calling you to reach out to? As you love others as yourself, God will always be leading us to love those He is calling into a deeper relationship with Him through Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus thank you for showing us the Father's love. We can love because you first loved us. Help is to extend is same kind of agape love to those in our path today. In Your name, Amen.
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