Mark 12:28-34

One of the legal experts heard their dispute and saw how well Jesus answered them. He came over and asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”

Jesus replied, “The most important one is Israel, listen! Our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your mind, and with all your strength.^[d]  The second is this, You will love your neighbor as yourself.^[e]  No other commandment is greater than these.”

The legal expert said to him, “Well said, Teacher. You have truthfully said that God is one and there is no other besides him. And to love God with all of the heart, a full understanding, and all of one’s strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself is much more important than all kinds of entirely burned offerings and sacrifices.”

When Jesus saw that he had answered with wisdom, he said to him, “You aren’t far from God’s kingdom.” After that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.

^[d] Deuteronomy 6:4-5   ^[e] Leviticus 19:18

Mark 12:28-34, Common English Bible (c) 2011

The greatest command: LOVE.  Love God.  Love others.  (Yes, that implies love yourself.)  Love with everything you are, with everything you are, in every moment wherever you may be.

But what is love?  Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13 writes about love.  Love is patient.  Love is kind.  Not jealous.  Doesn’t brag.  Not arrogant.  Not rude.  Doesn’t seek its own advantage.  Isn’t happy with injustice.  Is happy with the truth.  He goes on, but you get the idea.  Love is an action as well as an attitude.  It has everything to do with how we treat one another whether we are together or apart.

-Teressa Clark, 2019

Lenten Reflections 2019:  Following Jesus from the Mount of Olives to the Tomb ~ Day 11

Note:  These reflections were written for a ministerial colleague to use in his congregation during Lent as a way to invite church members to read and reflect on scripture every day.  I was writing in February about the same time I was blogging about 1 Corinthians 13 in these posts:  Without Love,  Love is … loves is not…, Love does not … Love does …, and Love Never Ends.