Today’s Podcast
Today’s Bible reading plan:
Read it in a year – Joel
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Mark 12:29-34
Jesus: The most important commandment is this: “Hear, O Israel, the Eternal One is our God, and the Eternal One is the only God. You should love the Eternal, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second great commandment is this: “Love others in the same way you love yourself.” There are no commandments more important than these.
Scribe: Teacher, You have spoken the truth. For there is one God and only one God, and to love God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves are more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice we could ever give.
Jesus heard that the man had spoken with wisdom.
Jesus: Well said; if you understand that, then the kingdom of God is closer than you think.
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
The scribe came to Jesus on the heels of the Sadducees trying to trap Jesus with their questions about the resurrection and the Pharisees questioning His authority. The Pharisees thought they asked a tough question, “Where do you get your authority to teach like you do and to perform the acts you do.” But then the tables were turned on them and they slithered away. The Sadducees posed the question about the Mosaic law and the requirement to marry a brother’s wife to carry on the family name and asked, “Whose wife is she in heaven.” But they were also trapped in their failure to carefully read and understand scripture.
Now the scribe comes and asks what seems to be another question, but this one appears to be a genuine question for his personal enlightenment, not necessarily as a trap. “What is the greatest commandment?” Of course, he could also have been baiting Jesus to see which one He would pull out of the law so the other scribes, the teachers and those charged with interpreting the Torah for the masses, could pounce on Jesus’ answer and find another more important commandment.
Again, Jesus turns the table with a very direct answer that could find no argument from those in attendance that day. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as you love yourself.” He then justified His answer by explaining that all the other laws and prophets are built on these two commands. The scribe agreed. Jesus, this unlearned carpenter from Nazareth, showed He knew scripture far better than the most learned rabbis around. Not shocking to us, but think of the surprise on the part of those scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees.
Then Jesus says something else that I’ve thought about for a few days before I put together this devotional. After the scribe asserts he agrees with Jesus’ declaration of the most important commandments, Jesus says, “Well said; if you understand that, then the kingdom of God is closer than you think.”
So Jesus has said we are to love God with everything we are and we are to love others with that same unconditional love, what else is there to do? Why didn’t Jesus just tell the scribe he was there. He got it right. Just put that into practice and you’re done. I think Jesus didn’t say those things for a couple of reasons. First, He could see into the scribe’s heart. He knew if the scribe really did love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. He knew if the scribe really did love others as much as he loved himself. Maybe the scribe wasn’t quite there yet.
But I have a feeling there was another reason, Jesus didn’t declare the scribe okay with God, but instead said, the kingdom is closer than you think. You see, Jesus had been preaching around the countryside and His message was that the kingdom of God is at hand. He also said He was the light of the world. He also said no one comes to the Father in heaven except by way of Him. Jesus had gone about the countryside preaching, teaching, healing, and most important, forgiving people of their sins when they asked Him. The scribe, it seems, has not asked for forgiveness.
Real love asks forgiveness from those we hurt, whether intentionally or unintentionally. When we love, we don’t want to wrong others. That doesn’t mean we don’t discipline, that would be cruel and negligent, but we don’t harm. And everyone hurts God. We all sin. We all cause Him pain. We all fail to live up to the standard He sets. We all need to ask forgiveness for our sins of commission and ommission. The kingdom of heaven was close, but one thing was still needed. A repentant heart seeking forgiveness from the God of the universe.
So where do you stand relative to this question? Do you love God and your neighbor? Do you really love them with God’s unconditional love? If so, the kingdom of God is close. Have you asked Jesus to forgive you? He died on the cross for my sins and yours. But our sins are not forgiven until we come to Him in repentance and ask. The kingdom of God is closer than you think.
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