Skip to main content

the greatest commandment

Mark 12:30&31
"30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."

In our study of The Law, we have turned to the Gospel of Mark, where a scribe had the opportunity to ask Jesus which commandment is the most important. Jesus answered with The Shema, that was taught to every Jewish child. It's an obvious answer, and it's an answer that the scribe would think is too simple. And, Jesus continues in today's verses. We can read these two sentences as a summary of two tables of the 10 commandments. The first being people's relationship with God and the second being people's relationships with each other.

In our study of the Holy Scriptures, it becomes tempting to look for complexities. Sometimes, even when complexity is not there. Many times, simplicity is the best. Yet, if we attempt to uphold these standards, we will soon see it's not that simple. And, if we are wise, we will want to better understand the 10 Commandments and Jesus's teaching. One of the BEST tools for this is ‎Luther's Small Catechism. Written in 1529 by Martin Luther, its question and answer format provides Christians with a timeless and easy-to-use guidebook that is applicable to all the various callings we have in life. You can read it online, and you can even download an app for your phone! It is wonderful. Check it out at 
https://catechism.cph.org/en/10-commandments.html
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Elisha’s example

1 Kings 19:19-21 "19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? 21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him." In Luke 9:54, after James and John sought to call down fire on a Samaritan village that rejected Jesus, they referenced Elijah, saying, “even as Elias did?” Jesus then taught three lessons about rejection: 1- Discipleship demands sacrifice, embracing hardship and forgoing earthly security. 2- Following Jesus requires immediate, un...
Post a Comment
Read more

I will make you

Matthew 4:19&20 "19 And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him." In our "Follow Me" series, we study Jesus calling His disciples in the Gospel of Matthew. By the Sea of Galilee, a thriving fishing hub, Jesus saw Simon and Andrew casting nets as humble fishermen. His disciples were ordinary workers, not wealthy or educated elites. Jesus approached them and said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Remarkably, they immediately left their jobs to follow Him. This brief exchange conveys a profound truth: Jesus says, "I will make you." Only God can transform us to accomplish His purpose. We should often pray, "Help me, God," seeking Jesus' guidance to follow His plan for our lives.
Post a Comment
Read more

God’s patience

2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." God did not immediately punish King Solomon when he allowed his foreign wives to build altars for false gods. Despite multiple compromises, God remained patient. Over time, Solomon’s endorsement of idolatry defied God’s covenant, leading to divine judgment, including the loss of the kingdom for his son. Some mistake God’s patience for indifference or inaction, but He follows His plan in His timing. If our nation, culture, church, or we ourselves stray like Solomon, we can repent and return to God’s path. And, should do so sooner than later! Amen!
Post a Comment
Read more