Today’s devotion is based off of week 2 of Unlikely Heroes: A Teacher (WATCH HERE)
Mark 12:28 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?”
Did you ever ask this question in school?
When your teacher presented a multi-page review of the material needed for the upcoming test, did you ask, “Do we need to know all of this? Or what is most important?”
As you think of this question, perhaps behind the question is really the desire to exert as little effort as possible to pass the test. If we know what is most important, we can focus on that and not worry about the “non-essential” material.
A teacher of the law in Jesus day was familiar with all of the law given to Moses. They would spend their days studying the law of Moses and offering their understanding and interpretation. If there was a dispute, they could act like lawyers and determine which law or application took precedence. So you can understand the question of this teacher to The Teacher. Which of the commandments is most important.
Don’t you want to know too?
Wouldn’t it be easier if Jesus woud identify a couple of the 10 and say, “If you can’t keep all of them, at least keep this one.”
In some ways, it seems like many have adopted their own answer to this question and identified the three or four they “can keep.”
Have you heart or thought..
- I haven’t killed anyone.
- I haven’t committed adultery.
- I haven’t stolen anything.
If these three were “the most important” many would be good, right?
Maybe it’s this way of thinking the teacher of the law was expecting Jesus to mimic with a few of the ten.
Rather, Jesus, the best teacher answers with two commands, neither of which are listed as part of the ten:
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.”
These are definitely not the easiest two, nor maybe the ones we were hoping Jesus would identify. But clearly “loving God” and “loving neighbor” ARE the two most important commands.
The profound aspect of these two commands seems to only scratch the surface for our Christian lives. However, the total inclusive nature of these two commands shows not just the profound nature of these commands, but the challenge to keep them.
Love for God is first.
Love for neighbor follows.
If the teacher told you this answer, would you pass the test? Perhaps writing these two as an answer may give us a good score from a knowledge standpoint. But as we will see, following and iving them gives us a true challenge.
Apply: As you contemplate these two commands, what do they look like as they are implemented in your life.
Prayer; Lord, thank you for your love that led you to give your laws for us to follow and by which we are blessed.