Mark 12:28-34 Love God; Our Ultimate Concern

Mark 12:28-34 NIV

As I think about it, there is probably no scripture that I quote more often in my sermons than this one that answers the question which commandment is 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 12:29-31)

All of the big ten commandments have to do with loving God or others. This is how we teach it to our children. It is not so much about what we cannot do; but, about what we get to do. We get to love God with our whole hearts, minds, and souls. We get to love our neighbors. It just naturally follows that when loving and serving the LORD is our ultimate concern followed by loving and caring for our neighbors that all else falls into place. It just does. It is as simple as that.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Matthew 26:14-16 - Betraying Jesus

Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. (Matt 26:14-16 NIV)

For thirty pieces of silver, his follower, his friend, betrayed Jesus. Yet, there was more to it than the love of money. Judas had hoped for an insurrection. He was looking for an earthly king. He had his own agenda. It was not God's agenda. Judas' priority, all along, had not been advancing Jesus' mission here on earth, but his own.

How often do we do that? How often do we betray Jesus? We are not so unlike this Judas, are we? Judas was willing to sell Jesus out because he saw that there was no longer any hope in his own political agenda. What is it that will entice us to turn our backs on Jesus and go the other way? What is our ultimate concern? God's will or achieving our own personal desires in this world?

If we are honest with ourselves; if we examine our hearts, I'm guessing that we will find many little things that will cause us to turn our backs on the will of God for us as well as for the whole world. When was the last time you told God: "No, I'm not going. I have better things to do than to worship You or follow you or do your will today."? It may have been just a few moments ago or maybe it was on Sunday?

God's Peace - Pr. J