The Gospel and The Great Commandment...
In Mark 12 Jesus was asked by a scribe, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus replied, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” The scrbe agrees, “You are right, Teacher.
The scribe and Jesus agree on what the "most important" commandment is. But look what Jesus says to the scribe next, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
Not far!?! NOT FAR!?!?...not far. Why would he be not far from the kingdom of God when he agrees with Jesus on the greatest commandment in the law???....Because knowing the commandment and keeping the commandment are 2 different things. Jesus commanded that we love God with everything that we are at all times, and to love our neighbor to the same degree we love ourself. The problem is that while the scribe has identified the most important commandment, he can't keep it...and neither can we!!! That's why we need a Savior...JESUS.
Teaching on The Great Commandment, Charles Spurgeon said:
"Now, what man ever kept this commandment? Surely, none; and no man ever can
keep it. Hence, then, the necessity of a Saviour. O! that we might by this
commandment be smitten to the earth, that our self-righteousness may be broken
in pieces by this great hammer of "the first and great commandment!"
Recognizing the the requirement of perfect love, doesn't meet the requirement. The only one to love God perfectly and love others perfectly is Jesus. In the ultimate act of love for God and love for others, Jesus lovingly sought the will of God the Father, and lovingly died in our place, so that by faith in HIM we can be reconciled to God the Father. He set the requirement, perfect love, and met the requirement, by perfect love.
So should we love others if we can't do it perfectly? Absolutely! ....More from Charles Spurgeon:
"But oh! my brethren, how may we wish that we could keep it! for, could we keep this command intact, unbroken, it would be a heaven below. The happiest of creatures are those that are the most holy, and that unreservedly love God."
Striving to love God and love other brings glory to God and joy to us. This is made possible because we have faith in Jesus. As followere of Jesus we become a new creatures in Him. Being born again, out of gratitude and adoration for Jesus, by abiding in Him, and being led by his Spirit, we begin to understand and experience what it means to love God and love others. But this side of heaven, we won't ever love perfectly, we'll always need Jesus, our savior and our sustainer.
A simple prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for fulfilling the law perfectly that we are powerless to fulfill. Jesus, thank you for showing us perfect love that we may strive to experience the joy of expressing love to God the Father and other people. Lord, please increase my capacity to love you and others more. In Jesus name, amen.
