The Essence of Discipleship

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Scripture:  Mark 12:28 – 34

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Read more…

Looking to Sunday

by Elaine Poproski

Jesus said that the greatest commandment is this:

Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one;
you shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
(Mark 12:29-30)

These words are familiar to me. They’re probably familiar to some of you as well. Because these words are familiar to me, I know they spell out the number one priority of being a Christian: to love God with everything I am.

If you’re familiar with Sunday’s Scripture reading (Mark 12:28-34), you’ll know that Jesus didn’t stop at just naming this commandment. He added to it. He said, “The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’” (Mark 12:31)

I think it can be tempting to read these two great commandments as if they are completely distinct and separate from each other, like Jesus is saying, “Do these two things: love God and love your neighbour.” This isn’t an incorrect reading. It’s what Jesus said (in a nutshell). But I wonder if we’re so used to reading these commandments as distinct, that we sometimes miss how they are connected.

Jesus was asked to name the greatest, or first, commandment. But He added the second, almost as if the second completes the first. I wonder if we wouldn’t better understand Jesus’ point if instead of summarizing what He said as “love God and love your neighbour,” we summarized His words as “love God by loving your neighbour”.

As you prepare for Sunday, perhaps take some time to conduct a personal inventory, measuring how well you are loving other people these days. Are you loving other people with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? If it’s true that we love God by loving other people – and I think Jesus makes that exact point in a number of different places, not just here – then doesn’t it make sense that we aren’t just supposed to love God with everything we are, but we are supposed to love other people with everything we are?