Proper 26, November 1, 2009
Ruth 1:1-18 * Psalm 146 * Hebrews 9:11-14 * Mark 12:28-34

²⁸One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

²⁹Jesus replied, ”The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.³⁰ And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’³¹The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’No other commandment is greater than these.”

The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. ³³ And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”

³⁴ Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, ”You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.

The Greatest Commandment

The Pharisees were a tricky bunch – those who are looking to the letter of the law are always a tricky bunch. They came and asked Jesus a question and Jesus answered it from their own scriptures, but added that they must also love their neighbor as themselves. I really believe that sometimes we make the gospel so complicated. Here Jesus summarizes the whole Hebrew scriptures into two statements. I love the Wesleyan Church vision statement which reads Fulfilling the Great Commission in the Spirit of the Great Commandment. The Great Commission is to go and make disciples of all nations and to teach these new disciples to follow all that Jesus taught us. We do that in the spirit of the Great Commandment – which is to love the Lord our God, with all of our heart, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. I’ve taught from this passage from time to time and I’ve often said that if we got these two statements in line – everything else would line up behind it. One of the teachers that Jesus was speaking to responded and Jesus realized that this man really understood what the Kingdom of God meant. My challenge to you today is that you would go and make disciples in the spirit of loving Jesus with all you’ve got and to love your neighbor and Jesus reminds us that everyone is our neighbor as you would love yourself. Blessings….