Mark 12:28 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?”
At some point in history this became a popular question to ask of a Rabbi. The idea is that it would cause the teacher to get at the heart of what his teaching was all about and give him the opportunity to say something profound. Do you remember what Jesus replied? Love God. But he said this by quoting a passage from the Old Testament that even the youngest person around a synagogue would have memorized. It is something like the story of one of the great theologians of the 20th century who when asked what was the greatest principle of Christian theology replied, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” Loving God in response to God’s great love for us is the essence of life itself, simple enough to be grasped by a child while remaining such a profound mystery that it can never be exhaustively understood by the most brilliant. What is the greatest commandment of your life, that which states what is truly at the core of your being? How are you living that out this week?
Logan Memorial Presbyterian Church 