Take a few deep breaths to center your heart and your mind as you prepare to meet with God.

Meditation on God

Jesus says many things that provoke emotion. Jesus tells his followers that they must hate their father and mother. (Luke 14:26) He tells a young ruler to sell everything he owns and give it to the poor, (Matthew 19:21) and in this passage, Jesus says something especially radical. God often exercises His will in counterintuitive ways. Take a moment to think about how God works powerfully in the world, and in ways we often don’t expect.

Teaching

One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.” Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions. (Mark 12:28-34)

So Jesus here is approached by a teacher of religious law. Matthew's account specifies that this teacher is a Pharisee. This teacher asks Jesus a pretty profound question when he asks him which commandment is the most important. Considering that there are roughly 613 Old Testament commands that the Pharisees attempted to follow to the tee, Jesus could have said many things. But Jesus here quotes two passages back to back. First, he quotes the Shema found in Deuteronomy 6–“Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” Onto that familiar passage, Jesus tacks on Leviticus chapter 19, which says to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus boldly claims that no other commandment is greater than these. In Matthew's gospel account, he even says that all the law and prophets hang on these commandments.

This is a radical challenge to the way we would normally interact and behave. Without the mindset Jesus proposes, most people treat themselves better than they would treat God and everyone around them. They would only offer the best of what they have in a transactional way, not out of genuine care and compassion. Jesus challenges our selfish nature when he summarizes the Law in this self-sacrificial way. While we are still expected to treat ourselves well, God’s call through the Law is to treat Him and others with even greater love. When Jesus quotes the Shema concerning this love, He is saying that truly loving God is more than simply having an emotional attachment. Rather, loving God means giving the entirety of your being–Heart, soul, strength, and mind–to Him, and letting that love pour out of us toward our neighbor. When we do this, the ultimate purpose of the law is manifested in us. 

Examination

We often become selfish and inconsiderate when left to our own devices. This becomes problematic when we become solely focused on ourselves. Take a moment and ask yourself this question: How highly do I prioritize myself in comparison to God and those around me?

What steps can I take to better serve and sacrifice for God and my neighbor?

Memory Verse

As you go through your day, continually redirect your priorities by repeating the prayer Jesus quotes:

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” (Mark 12:29b-30)