“It’s All About Love” (Mark 12: 28-34)
“’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength…Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:31
Scripture: Mark 12: 28-34
Question of the Day: What is the kingdom of God?
Devotion: By the time of Jesus, the Jewish people had accumulated 613 laws. Here we see that Jesus is asked by “one of the teachers of the law” which of the laws was most important. Jesus’ response points directly to the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) and the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). The Shema was an old Jewish prayer that every Jewish would have learned in that time. It was similar to our Apostle’s Creed and Lord’s Prayer that we learn during Confirmation. Jesus also sums up the Ten Commandments with his response. He breaks down the first four as “Love the Lord your God…” and the last six as “Love your neighbor…” By using the Ten Commandments and the Shema, Jesus taught them that every other law and command could be summed up under these two commandments.
After answering the question, the teacher of the law points out that these two commandments are “more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Jesus tells the teacher, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” The kingdom of God is something that we can find only by following these two commandments. When we “Love the Lord our God” and “Love our neighbor as ourself,” we find that we are not just witnessing the kingdom of God, but that we are also sharing the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is here and now and it is for everyone.
What have you done recently to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”?
What have you done recently to “Love your neighbor as yourself”?
Do you feel closer to the kingdom of God when you obey these two commandments? Why or why not?
Prayer: Almighty God, open our eyes to see you in our neighbor. I know that you want me to love you and to love my neighbor. Help me to understand how to love. Soften my heart so that others may see you in me. Amen.
Practice: Perform an act of kindness for someone today (preferably without them knowing). Share with someone how it made you feel to do something for someone else.
Song: Love Is Here- Tenth Avenue North
