Mark 12:28-34 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And 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.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Jesus has a way of leaving you hanging. When the rich young rule came to him asking how to be saved, Jesus let him answer his way into a corner. When the Pharisees tried to catch Him in is teaching, He pressed them till they could not answer. This man seems to sincerely be seeking the kingdom of God, and is on the right track. But Jesus leaves him "not far" from it. In a sense He seems to be telling us: "You know the answer; now will you accept it? The most basic answer is this: "Love God first." We struggle to not love me first. It's the step that makes all the difference in being "not far" and being near the heart of God.
No comments:
Post a Comment