March 24 – Mark 12:28-34

I want you to show love,

not offer sacrifices.

I want you to know me

more than I want burnt offerings.

~ Hosea 6:6 (NLT)

Not all the Pharisees and teachers of the law were against Jesus. Some of them recognized that He came from God (see John 3:1-21). Some asked Him questions out of authentic curiosity and a desire to learn rather than as a way to catch Him saying something that would do harm to Him or His ministry. The teacher of the law in today’s reading is one of those authentic questioners. As a teacher of the law, he knew God’s law well, and he knew that all of God’s commandments are important. But he wanted to know which commandment took precedence—which one was most important to God?

Jesus answers by quoting Deuteronomy 6:4-5, which is the beginning of the Shema, the oldest fixed daily prayer in Judaism, followed by Leviticus 19:18. He tells the teacher of the law: “The most important [commandment] 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” (vv. 29-31).

The teacher of the law agrees with Jesus and adds that these commandments are more important “than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices” (v. 33). This answer showed that the man understood the heart of God’s law—love. Many of his contemporaries had missed this simple yet profound foundation of everything God does. Most religious leaders were focused on keeping the law (living by the rules) not on God’s love. Jesus took them to task for this many times (Matthew 23:1-36; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 11:39-52 and more), so when He sees this teacher of the law who understands, He commends the man, saying, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God” (v. 34).

Many people still believe that following Jesus is only about avoiding sin. Of course, we shouldn’t sin, but to follow Jesus is first and foremost about loving God and loving others. If we love God and love others, we automatically keep the other commandments because when we love, we honor and respect as well. We don’t abuse, rebel against, steal from, betray, or lie about God and others when we are focused on loving them well. But loving well requires a heart change that only God can give us, so we must remain in Christ (John 15:5), following Him closely. Then, the Spirit goes to work in us and makes us more like Jesus than the Pharisees and teachers of the law.

As you speak with the Lord today, confess the ways you have not loved Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and ask Him to help you love Him better and follow Him more closely. Then, confess the ways that you have not loved others well, and ask Him to help you love them better. Resolve to act on your love for God and others in a tangible way today, and ask God how you might do that. Then, spend some time worshipping this God who loves you dearly and longs for you to love as He does.