The Greatest Commandment

Mark 12
The Greatest Commandment

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[b] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[c] There is no commandment greater than these.”

32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

So - then I guess the next logical question is, "who is my neighbor?"

Do I love the lost as much as Jesus? Am I even trying to come close to that level of care for people I don't even know, people who may very well be trying to make trouble in my life? People who rail against the things I hold dear?

Jesus gave us marching orders in several passages of the Bible. This is only one of them, but He Himself declares it as the most important - that seems to me to be pretty clear. I need to love those around me as I love God: with all I have.