“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 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: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:29-31 NIV
No Greater Commandment
Back in 2009, an ancient document, part of the Dead Sea Scrolls, was displayed in Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum. The fragile piece of parchment is the oldest known written version of the complete 10 Commandments. “The 10 Commandments have been taken as fundamental to the rules of morality for the Jewish and Christian tradition,” said Prof. Eileen Schuller, a professor of religious studies at McMaster University and a consultant on the exhibit. “People who would never darken the door of a church or a synagogue will still and go see something like this.”
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Jesus had the unique ability to make the most challenging spiritual principles understandable by everyone. This was the case with God’s commandments. God had given Moses the Ten Commandments, and over the centuries the religious leaders had added to them so much that they had become impossible to remember, let alone obey. So, it wasn’t an odd question for one of the teachers of the law to ask Jesus a question about them. It is likely he was trying to corner Jesus, but Jesus answers him nonetheless by saying, in Mark 12:29-31: “’The most important one,’ answered Jesus, is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 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: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.’” Jesus was asked for the most important law, but He says there are two – love God with everything you’ve got, and love others as you love yourself.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley