If someone were to ask you, before reading this passage in Mark, what you felt was the most important commandment, what would you answer? Perhaps some might say that not committing murder was the most important. Some married couples might answer not committing adultery. A shopkeeper might bring up the commandment of not stealing. In our Gospel passage today, which echoes the passage we looked at earlier this week from Deuteronomy, a scribe came to Jesus and asked Him this question. Let’s look at the Biblical text and see what He answered.
In Biblical times, a scribe was a man who was especially learned in the Mosaic Law and other sacred writings. They examined difficult and subtle questions of the Law, and were often members of the Sanhedrin, which was the important rabbinical court and ruling body, with the High Priest as the chief officer. By the time of Jesus, the Jewish rabbis had accumulated hundreds of laws, over 613 of them. Some Jews felt they could be divided into major and minor laws. One day, shortly before the Last Supper and Jesus’s crucifixion, a scribe asked Him which He felt was the most important, perhaps trying to trip Him up, and make Him say something that could get Him into trouble with the Sanhedrin (vs. 28).
In verses 29 - 31, Jesus proceeds to answer by quoting Deuteronomy 6:4-5, which states that we are to love the Lord God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We are to love Him completely, with everything that is in us. Jesus then immediately follows that with quoting Leviticus 19:18, saying that we also are to love our neighbor as ourselves.
If we love truly God and love others as we do ourselves, we will be fulfilling all of the Ten Commandments. These two commands summarize all of God’s laws. If we love our neighbor as we do ourselves we won’t be wanting to do them any harm. We won’t steal from them, or lie to them. We won’t take their spouse, nor do them any bodily harm. When we also love God with everything in us, seeking to please Him with everything we do, we will be fulfilling all of His commands.
Loving others doesn’t mean just admiring them. We are to treat them as we would want to be treated ourselves (Matthew 7:12). We are commanded to deny ourselves, and treat others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3-4; Matthew 16:24). Loving our neighbor includes loving all those in our community. This might, and often does include loving our enemy, because they are often our neighbors in the community (Matthew 5:43-45). To obey these commands one must stop thinking only of themselves, and focus on God first and then others.
The response that this scribe gave to the Lord Jesus in verses 32 - 33 showed that he understood that moral concerns took precedence over ceremonial practices. He knew that these two commands were more important to God than any of the laws regarding sacrifices and other ceremonial laws. If we are loving God and others, we are obeying all of God’s laws.
In response to the scribe’s statement, Jesus told him that he was not far from the Kingdom of God (vs. 34). He didn’t say that the man’s statement brought him into the Kingdom, or that keeping any laws would, either. True obedience to God comes from the heart. All of the Old Testament laws lead and point to Jesus, so this scribe’s next step should be faith in the Lord Jesus as Messiah.
Did this scribe ever take that step? We don’t know, as the Bible never mentions it. You can know for yourself, though. Are you trying to work your way into heaven by keeping various laws and commandments, by doing good and trying to live a righteous life? We can never be good enough to measure up to an all-holy and righteous God’s standards. All of our efforts are in vain. Jesus, the sinless Son of God, came to pay our sin-debt with His sacrificial death on the cross. Admit you are a sinner, and accept that Jesus shed His Blood on your behalf. Call upon Him as your Savior today.
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