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9. The Great Commandment (Mark 12:28-34)
MARK 12:28-34
28 One of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together. Knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the greatest of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The greatest is, ‘Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one: 30 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.’ This is the first commandment. 31 The second is like this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 The scribe said to him, “Truly, teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he, 33 and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” No one dared ask him any question after that.
Do you believe that God exists? Then love him, for he created you, showered you with good things, and blessed you daily. He saved you, gave you life, strengthened you, and will take you to his own glory. He who does not love God is against him.
Do you know that God is present with you, and that he is the All-Powerful? Then honor his presence in you, and worship him, for he created the universe out of nothing, and he knows all men, the good and the evil, by name, including you.
The great, holy God loves you, wretched man, for he also loves the wicked. He did not want to destroy them, because of their sins, but he gave his Anointed One to purify men that whoever believes in him should not perish but have the power of everlasting life in him.
Do you sense the great extent of the love of God? The holy Father gave his only Son instead of us, hardhearted and stubborn sinners, that we might turn to him, open our hearts to his love, be changed sothat we no longer hate men, but love everyone with all our hearts.
You may say that God is one, then how do we say that Christ is the Son of God? We answer with clarity that love means both oneness and multiplicity. God is one as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; as Jesus said: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father. I and My Father are one.” (John 14:9; 10:30)
As such Christ testified before the representative of the scribes, saying, “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” However the scribe was not satisfied with this, but he went on saying, “And there is no other but He”, because he had not known God yet in his truth, but saw him as an idol. His limited understanding could not grasp the fact that God had a Son, who is one with him from everlasting to everlasting.
Yet, in spite of his narrow-mindedness, he sensed Christ’s wisdom and kindness, and opened his heart to him, and Jesus confirmed to him that he was not far from the kingdom of God.
Do you really love God? Then keep his commandments, and devote your heart, thoughts, and strength to your Lord. Discipline yourself. Do not submit to the developments of modern technology. Do not read misleading books, or be enthusiastic about TV movies. God alone is worthy of your love. So serve him with all your heart, giving your time and money in his service.
Do you feel your weakness in practicing the love of God? We are weak too. But we quote the statement of the apostle Paul: “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:5) This heavenly power helps us to love both God and men. It is not we who love, but God who dwells in us. The Holy Spirit will not give rest to you until you have forgiven your enemies their sins against you, and humbled yourself to make peace with them. You have to see the love of God, which forgave your faults on the cross, and this makes you prepared to confess to anyone you have wronged, and ask forgiveness.
Did you observe, in the discussion between Christ and the teacher of the Law, that the latter concentrated on the oneness of God, while Jesus spoke about love to God? Jesus did not deny the oneness of God at all, but he emphasized the love of the Holy One, which is the mystery of his oneness in the Trinity, for God is love, and he who abides in love, abides in God, and God in him.
PRAYER: O Holy Father, you are love. Put the fire of your love into our hearts that our thanks for your faithfulness may be magnified. We worship you because you manifested yourself in your Son and established your Spirit in us that we may love you and love others, serve them with kindness, and testify before them the great mystery that you are one God in a Holy Trinit your love may dwell in them too, and they may know you in your holy love. Amen.
QUESTION:
- How is the belief in one God concerned with our love to him and to all men?
QUIZ 3
Dear reader,
If you have carefully studied this third booklet on the Gospel of Christ according to the Evangelist Mark, you will have gained an everlasting spiritual treasure. We encourage you to think deeply for yourself about the meanings of this gospel, and to write down your thoughts carefully by answering the following questions:
- What are the most important meanings in Peter’s confession?
- What are the necessary conditions for of following the Lord Jesus?
- What is the significance of Jesus’ transfiguration as seen by his disciples?
- Why did the disciples not understand the necessity of Christ’s going to the cross?
- What was the obstacle against the healing of the sick boy?
- How did the Lord Jesus guide his disciples to humility?
- How does the Lord Jesus guide us to cooperate with those who are not of our own circle?
- What is the occasion of stumbling to new believers?
- What are the principles of Christian marriage?
- What is the Lord Jesus’ position towards little children?
- Why do we see in both mammon and riches a temptation similar to idolatry?
- What is in fact the believers’ profit?
- Why did the Lord Jesus go ahead of his disciples to Jerusalem?
- How did the question and answer of the sons of Zebedee uncover their spiritual state?
- What does the Lord Jesus’ example as a servant to sinners mean to us?
- What do we learn from the healing of blind Bartemaeus in Jericho?
- Why did the Roman soldiers not prevent the Lord Jesus from entering Jerusalem?
- Why did the Lord Jesus cleanse the temple?
- How does true faith appear?
- Why did the Lord Jesus not declare the source of his authority to the delegation of the highest court of the Jews?
- How did the Lord Jesus explain God’s love through this parable of the wicked vinedressers?
- What is the wisdom in Christ’s answer to his tempters?
- How do believers live in the other life?
- How is the belief in one God concerned with our love to him and to all men?
If you give correct answers to 20 questions only of the above 24 questions, we will send you the next booklet of this series. Please write your name and full address clearly on the answer sheet, and send it to the following address:
Waters of Life
P.O.Box 600 513
70305 Stuttgart
Germany
Internet: www.waters-of-life.net
Internet: www.waters-of-life.org
e-mail: info@waters-of-life.net