For Saturday, February 17, 2024
Mark 12:28b NLT: “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
Jesus was taking questions now, Some in the crowd wanted to know more about God and the Kingdom, while others were hoping to trick Jesus into making a misstatement. Jesus accepted the challenge.
We’re all familiar with the 10 Commandments. God sent Moses down the mountain with those commands etched in stone. But those who read scriptures discovered 613 things God said to do, commandments if you will. Some made sense, other did not. Their purpose might have been to set the Hebrew people apart from other nations. But this teacher of religious law had a legitimate question. Imagine trying to place 613 items in the proper order! Which items were most important?
Jesus was taking no chances, so he quoted from Deuteronomy 6 in the Jewish Scriptures, our Old Testament. “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength.” The second is equally important: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Knowledge is the key. To love the Lord, you must have an understanding of who He is and what He has done for us. To me, God is the Creator. He made the universe, the solar system, the planets and stocked them with plants, birds, fish and animals including his crowning achievement: human beings! We exist because of God’s plan. Loving your neighbor is not difficult. Be nice, be kind, be helpful. Figure out the next right thing to do.
Love God and love your neighbor. It’s not that hard!
Pastor Norton Lawellin
Jesus in the City Fellowship
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