Whom Do You Love? - Mark 12:28-34

Whom Do You Love? - Mark 12:28-34
By Pastor Lee Hemen
November 28, 2010

This past Thanksgiving I heard people exclaim that they loved pie, sweet potatoes, dressing, turkey, and just about any other food that was placed in front of them. We use the word love for defining a lot of things in our lives. Sadly, the word love is often used in the wrong way concerning relationships in our lives. Perhaps no better definition for our day concerning love is better expressed than in the song Barney the Dinosaur sings: “I love you, you love me; we’re a happy family! With a great big hug, and a kiss from me to you; won’t you say you love me too?” Love has been reduced to an emotion we feel, rather than an expression.

Here in Mark’s gospel we find Jesus answering his questioners concerning what the greatest commandment of God is. Contrary to what some may think, the love of God is conveyed throughout the commands of God. Jesus remarked to his disciples, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15) and here he defines exactly what that means. When we look at Jesus’ answer it helps us to focus not simply on what loves is, but on whom we are to love. In fact, Jesus’ makes each of us answer the ultimate question, “Whom do you love?” Let’s find out how we can honestly answer…

READ: Mark 12:28-34

The time of confrontation by questioners was over with this last incident. Jesus meets someone who stands back and listens while he goes toe-to-toe with everyone who is willing to challenge him both intellectually and spiritually. Jesus amazingly meets all comers with wonderful answers. He is amused and steps forward to ask his one question. It is a question that plagued those who sought to know God through strict adherence to his law. He was not concerned about whom he loved, he had…

I. A question concerning the commandments! (V. 28)

1. Righteousness comes by faith! Evidently, one of the teachers of the law had heard and seen what was going on between Jesus and the Sadducee. He “came and heard them debating.” He was more than likely a Pharisee, and it is not evident that he had any hidden agenda or motive. We see that he was impressed by Jesus’ answers. Traditionally the scribes spoke of 613 individual commandments of the Mosaic Law — 365 negative ones and 248 positive ones. While they believed all were binding, they assumed a distinction between weightier and lighter statutes and often attempted to sum up the whole Law in one single unifying command. It was kind of a “holy grail” for them. Interestingly this man asks Jesus, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Literally, he is asking Jesus, “What kind of commandment is the first among all the commandments?” He wanted to know which commandment was primary and therefore the most important to follow. If Jesus could answer this question, then he and his teaching could be respected. However, he was asking a question that concentrated on the wrong thing. This man was thinking about what he had to do to be made righteous, rather than whom he should follow. Too many do that when it comes to their faith. Paul would state that, “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference…” Why? Because Paul knew that, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:22--24) Following the commands of God will never bring one closer to God relationally. It isn’t a question of knowing the foremost command of God, it is found in following His one and only son! It is a question concerning the commandments that is answered by faith!

EXAMPLE: Legalists love to follow the letter of the law as they see it. Sadly, following the law becomes more important for them than knowing the personal God who gave them the law in the first place. They can point to their adherence of worshipping on a particular day, eating only certain foods, and keeping themselves pure from the sinful world but they are devoid of true faith. Faith comes from trust and not adherence. Trust comes from love. Recently at my grandson’s play day, a little girl had gone swimming with her mother beforehand. I heard them talking about it. The girl was only about three or four. Her mother said, “And you trusted mommy didn’t you when we were learning to float, didn’t you?” “Yes, momma, that’s because you love me and I love you!” She had faith and trust in her mother because she knew he mother loved her. Legalism fails where love succeeds. If you are like this teacher of the law looking for one thing that you can do that will save you, you will not find it. He had a question concerning the commandments, do you?

Those who follow the letter of the law, often fail to see the love involved in the law. They desire that God love them, but they are unwilling to allow God’s love flow into the lives of others. God did not give his people the law so they would become mind-numbed robots marching in lockstep to the beat of an incessant almighty drummer. In fact, we discover that…

II. The answer is to love God completely and others wholeheartedly! (Vv. 29-31)

1. We love because he first loved us! Jesus goes beyond the question to the heart of the issue. He answers his questioner by telling him, “The most important one is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Jesus begins with the Shema, which was recited twice daily by devout Jews during their prayer times. Most Hebrews stopped there in their recitation, but Jesus adds the following admonition from Deuteronomy to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) By doing so, Jesus is saying that the One God desires that his followers love him with all that they are. It is a total trust that results in a life given completely over to the Lord. It is a matter of believing what you say. Words are just words until you put faith behind them. Saying there is only “one God” is great, however if you truly believe that, then you will “love God” with all that you are! All your actions and attitudes are to display that love of God; therefore, the second part of Jesus’ answer teaches his listener exactly what this means. Jesus goes on to apply the Shema by saying the “second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” These are the “first” and primary commands of God. They are personal, comprehensive, and wholehearted. In fact, “There is no commandment greater than these.” A person cannot say they “love God” without displaying that love every day of their lives to those around them! The Hebrews had a hard time with this concept. They hated the Samaritans; they hated the Romans; why they even hated one another if you were not part of their select group! Sadly, the same can be said far too often of believers. We are quick to say we love God, but hold grudges, remember slights, will not forgive, and demand that everyone else understand and love us! John would remind us that, “We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1 John 4:19-21) the answer is to love God completely and others wholeheartedly!

EXAMPLE: One thing I have learned in ministry is that you cannot control what other people do no matter how much you want to do so. Folks have to be willing to do the right thing because they want to and not because you have manipulated them. I used to hate it when my mother used guilt to get me to do things. I was wonderfully surprised to learn that God does not work that way. He desires that his people follow him out of love and devotion. If you love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, you will willingly do whatever he asks you to do because you love him. Your service is not dependent upon how you or others feel; it is squarely established in his love for you and your love for God. This motivates the believer to love others no matter what. Again, as John writes, “We love because he first loved us.” The answer is to love God completely and others wholeheartedly!

The questioner never thought he would be the one confounded by his own question! Yet this is exactly what Jesus does to this teacher of the law. The world today needs to hear Jesus’ answer from Christians! Perhaps in understanding how Jesus answers this individual we need to ask ourselves…

III. How would I answer the question? (Vv. 32-34)

1. Pride does indeed come before the fall! Oh how close can someone be to the truth and yet deny it for themselves! A pastor told me “it can be just a prideful pout away!” Here, we find this to be the case with this teacher of the law. He willingly tells Jesus, “Well said, teacher!” and acknowledges that Jesus is “right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.” But he continues his response by editing the Scripture. He goes on to admit, “To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” He uses the term “understanding” and omits the usage of “God” and inserts the generic term “him” in his reply (v. 33). Understanding for this man was found in his intellect. He thought that if he just studied about God and his law, acknowledged God with his mind, followed his commands intently, and felt sympathy for his fellow neighbors it was enough. He was so close and yet so far away. Why would I say that? Didn’t Jesus realize that he had “answered wisely”? Yes, and there is the key. He answered wisely, but not in faith. Jesus tells him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” But he was not quite there yet. Pride was in his way. This man was open to hear the law of God and he was willing to be taught the nuances of following the law of God, but he would not commit himself to faith in Jesus! He would not take that final step. As Maxwell Smart from the old TV show “Get Smart” would say, “He missed by that much!” Paul wrote his friend Timothy to tell him that there would be prideful people who are “always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:7) As the Proverbist would state, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18) Far too many have entered eternity separated from God because of their pride. How will you answer the question?

EXAMPLE: Have you ever heard of the man who prided himself on being an expert archer? He never missed! The secret to his success was that after he shot his arrow at the side of his barn, he painted a bull’s-eye around the arrow. We can do that with our lives as well. Joe Stowell writes, “It’s easy to live our lives doing what we want and thinking that our ways and instincts are right on target when in reality our ‘bull’s-eye’ shots at life are not on target at all.” Pride has caused more people to slam the gates of hell behind themselves than anything else. As long as I live I will never forget how after witnessing to a young man, he related, “I know what I need to do, I understand what you are telling me, but I just do not want to change my life.” I would love to tell you that he later gave his life to Christ, but as far as I know, he has not done so. A good man who is not a godly man because he never trusted Jesus, God’s one and only Son. Far too many have entered eternity separated from God because of their pride. How will you answer the question?

Conclusion:
In knowing the answer to “Whom do you love?” isn’t about following the commandments of God, it is found in loving God completely and others wholeheartedly. Now, let me ask you, “How will you answer the question?”
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Pastor Lee Hemen has been the outspoken pastor of the same church for 25 years in Vancouver, WA. He writes regularly on spirituality and conservative causes and maintains several web blogs. This article is copyrighted © 2010 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.

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