Mark Vol. 3 - Week 5 (12:28-34)
Mark 12:28-34
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Loving God and Loving Neighbor
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Mark 12:28-34 〰️ Loving God and Loving Neighbor 〰️
In the book of Deuteronomy, we read the account of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments from God and relaying it to Israel. The following chapter begins with Moses speaking on God's behalf, saying, "This is the command—the statutes and ordinances—the Lord your God has commanded me to teach you ... Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength."(6:1, 4-5). In this week's passage in Mark 12:28-34, Jesus quotes this passage in response to a question from the Jewish scribes: "Which command is the most important of all?" (v28).
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The scribes were something like the lawyers of the Mosaic Law, as they dedicated their lives to reading, interpreting, and applying it.¹ Per tradition, there were over 600 commandments in the Law, both positive ("do" commands) and negative ("don't" commands).² The scribes often "categorized" the commands by their "weight," trying to summarize and simplify the Law.³
When asking Jesus, it very well could have been an intellectual question, less in an attempt to entrap Him and more of a desire to chop it up with a fellow scholar. Regardless of the motive, the question required tact and knowledge of the Law, which Jesus answered perfectly.
This command from the Lord in Deuteronomy answers both the scribes' question and their academic pursuits. Love the Lord your God is the first and greatest command and the perfect summary of all of God's commands. Jesus also gives the scribes the next greatest command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (v31).
And so, in hearing His response, the scribe affirmed Jesus' response, saying:
"You are right, teacher. You have correctly said that he is one, and there is no one else except him. And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices."
This scribe knew the Law and was in agreement with Jesus, understanding that God's concern with our hearts is far greater than any burnt offering or sacrifice. Burnt offerings were sufficient and critical for early Israel, as offering an animal was a true sacrifice. God's people could see the weight and cost of their sins. The scribe, it seems, saw this and, after speaking with Jesus, was told, "You are not far from the kingdom of God" (v34).
Jesus perfectly summarized how simple it is to follow God when considering obeying commands. As we give our lives over to God and follow Him, obedience and transformation are fueled by our love for Him, and love for our neighbor becomes more and more natural. Every question or command we will encounter in this life can be filtered down to one or both of these commands cited by Jesus: Love God, love people. Ethical dilemmas at work or school, financial stewardship, and the temptation to lust, lie, or cheat-- and everything else-- can all be filtered down to "is this unloving (dishonoring) to God or people?"
Discussion Questions
What stood out to you from the passage?
Does anything in this passage remind you of another part of Scripture?
Do you have any questions?
In v29-31, what did Jesus say are the two greatest commandments? How are the two connected?
There were over 600 commandments in the Mosaic Law. Why do you think Jesus emphasized these twocommandments above all others?
What does it mean to truly love the Lord? How can that inform our love for others?
How can our deep love for God lead us to love our neighbors
1. https://www.gotquestions.org/scribes-Jesus.html
2. John D. Grassmick, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 163.
3. Ibid., 163.