JESUS SUMMARIZES THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR OUR BENEFIT

BIBLE PASSAGE:
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?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, 
“is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord 
your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind 
and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as 
yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” 
(Mark 12:28-31)

MEDITATION:
Imagine if you were face to face with Jesus and could ask Him one question,
what would you ask Him?
We read in the scriptures where a ‘teacher of the law’ had this opportunity and
he asked Jesus to tell him which commandment was the most important one.

More than likely he was thinking about the Ten Commandments given by God,
and if so, then Jesus must have surprised Him when He summarized the first 
four and the last six commandments into only two commandments. 
The first four referred to our vertical relationship with God, the Father, 
and the last six spoke about our horizontal relationship with other people.

When we look at what Jesus said, 
it seems impossible to obey these two commands.
That’s because, in the natural state of man, it is impossible.
How can any human being with a fallen nature possibly love God 
with ALL his heart, soul, mind, and strength 24 hours a day?

Even without considering the sins we commit daily, 
we are all condemned by our inability to fulfill this one commandment. 
This is why Jesus often reminded the Pharisees 
of their inability to keep the Law. 
He was trying to get them to understand 
that they were spiritually bankrupt and in need of a Savior.

Without the cleansing of sin that He provides, and the empowering presence 
of the Holy Spirit (who lives in the hearts of the redeemed), 
loving God to any degree is basically impossible. 
But, as Christians, 
we have been cleansed from sin, and we do have the Holy Spirit.

So how do we begin to love God the way we should? 
Just as the man in Mark 9:24 asked God to help his unbelief, 
we need to ask God to help us in areas where we don’t love Him 
with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. 
It is His power that we need to do the impossible, 
so we begin by asking for, and accepting that power as a gift from God.

We cannot love someone we don’t know, 
so knowing Him should be our first priority.
In most cases, our love and affection for God 
grows more intense as time goes by, especially if we 
are making attempts to mature through the reading of His Word, 
praying, and worshipping Him (both individually and corporately).

Those who pursue God and His righteousness, who take seriously the command 
to love Him above all else, are those who are consumed with the things of God. 
They are eager to study God’s Word, eager to pray, eager to obey 
and honor God in all things, and eager to share Jesus Christ with others. 
It is through these spiritual disciplines that our love for God grows 
and matures, which in turn, glorifies God.
 
As part of our maturing process, we no longer take for granted His blessings,
but we learn to be grateful for how God blesses us in so many ways.
Also, it is through the witness of His faithfulness during times 
of struggle and trial, that our love for God grows deeper. 
Over time, we see His compassion, mercy, grace, and love for us. 
We also appreciate His holiness, His righteousness, 
and understand His hatred for sin.

The more we love God, the easier it is to love others - as He loves us.
Just as the Lord sees the good in us, we cultivate an attitude 
of looking for the good in others, rather than focusing on their faults.
It doesn’t mean that we overlook the sins in their lives, but rather than 
causing relationship problems by trying to change them in our own strength, 
we learn to pray for them, and to be prepared for when God gives us 
an opportunity to speak to them in some way.

When the love of Jesus flows through us, no longer are we judge and jury 
of the words and actions of others (which is usurping God’s position), 
but we learn to enjoy their good qualities.
How many times have we gone through the exercise of assuming 
what another person means by what they say, or what they do?
Only God has the ability to read the hearts and minds of mankind.

We can become irritated and estrange ourselves from others 
as a result of our assumptions (which could be completely wrong).
Aren’t we glad that Jesus doesn’t estrange Himself from us 
as a result of our faults and failures?
It seems that He wants to love the badness out of us, 
rather than suppressing His love until the badness diminishes. 
The more we feel His love, 
the less we are tempted to find fault in those around us.

ACTION:
Be honest, 
how are you doing with the two commandments given by Jesus to the lawyer?
The Trinity of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit can be difficult to wrap 
our minds around, but we know from the Bible that they are three in One.
So, when Jesus gives us a command, it is the same as God giving us a command.
His command is for you to love God with all your heart, soul, 
mind and strength, and to love others as you love yourself.

How much ‘wiggle room’ for failure do you give yourself?
Do you give that same latitude to others?
How much attention do you give to your good qualities?
Do you focus on the goodness in others? 
God wants you to have love as the driving force in your vertical 
relationship with Him, and in your horizontal relationship with others.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, help me in the areas of my unbelief. Fill me with Your 
Holy Spirit so that I will love You with all my Heart, soul, mind and 
strength. Forgive me for being judgmental of others and trying to read 
their mind as a result of their words and actions. Help me to look for ways
of improving my relationship with You and with others, instead of spending 
time and energy trying to justify my failures and focusing on the faults of 
others. I know from Your Word, that when I love You as I should, that I will 
have a greater capacity for loving others, as You love me. Thank You for 
Your love for me, and forgive me for my failure to appreciate and adequately 
thank You for Your blessings.”