This One is Important

We know the story.  Jesus was teaching the crowds of people and a teacher of the law asks Him a question.  "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"  Jesus replied, "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: 30-31 NIV

What a perfect and brilliant answer!  If we love God with all we have and love our neighbor as ourselves, the other commandments will take care of themselves.  We will never worship idols, commit adultery, covet, lie or use God's name as a curse word.  Did you know the Bible tells us 8 times to love our neighbor?

But how do we do this?  Is it even possible?  It is not possible with our old, sinful nature.  Actually, it's a staggering commandment because in order to really love our neighbor, something earthshaking must happen in our souls.  Something supernatural.  But if Christ is central in our lives, we will desire to be more like Him each day and it will happen.  We begin to recognize that everyone is part of His creation.  We must love them enough to desire their salvation just as He does.  When we love our neighbors, we are a witness to Him because they can see Christ in us.  We love Him first and don't want to grieve Him or sin against Him.

God places great significance and seriousness on these commandments.  In fact, All of scripture and All His plans for history hang on these two commandments:  that we love Him with all our heart and that we love each other as we love ourselves.   I pray that my life begins to reflect His perfect love.