May 18, 2022
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. (Mark 12:28-34) ESV
This months’ Devotional Thoughts are going to concentrate on the attributes of a life living in obedience to Christ. The first attribute is: Loving the Lord with all our hearts.
In todays’ Scripture reading, we see in (v.28) the Scribes ask Jesus a question, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus’ answer to their question is found in (vs.29-30), “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.’
So the Scribes said to Jesus, “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 (Mark: 12:32-33). The Scribes’ response to Jesus reminds me of (1 Samuel 15:22-23) where Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.”
I believe what the Lord is saying to us is that it is better to obey than to keep saying sorry. It is better to do what God has told us to do than to continually be offering sacrifices of remorse. This is what the Israelites did; they brought the fat of the rams. They offered the choices part of a ram to God and then they went away and they continued to sin. The Scribes understood that the evidence of loving God was not about burnt offerings and sacrifices. Now when Jesus saw that the Scribes answered wisely, He said to them, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34).
Friends, if we love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths shouldn’t we be living lives of obedience to Him? Would you Pray with me?
Father in Heaven, I come to You with a humble heart. Please help me to live a life that will demonstrate my love for You. I know that obedience is what You require of me. Please help me to walk in obedience to You. Amen
God Bless and have a Blessed Day, Friends <><
Thoughts by Randall Stapleton is a Daily Devotion brought to you by The Bridge - Learn more at https://wearethebridge.org
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