Holding on

After being challenged in debate by a bunch of the teachers of the law, probably a scene broke out. But one of the teachers didn't understand. He came over excited to talk with the "one who teaches with authority" about the most important commandment. It may sound like another trap, but in this case asking a hard question isn't a trap, but simply asking a really tough question for the sake of receiving an answer.

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."

"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 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."

When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions. -Mark 12:28-34

It is fun for me every time I am re-focused on these commandments. It is a great combination of the Old Testament law and the New testament one. Maybe I've talked about this a lot in my life, but it is so fun for me that Jesus is able to reinforce the most important part of the commandments by quoting Moses. These words come from his presentation of the ten commandments in Deuteronomy:

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 strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. -Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Fun should not be the word. I don't love commandments in one sense, because I cannot at all attain them. But simplified, these directions are almost freeing. These are the force--the meaning--behind all the law. Jesus says in Matthew's telling of the same account:

"All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." -Matthew 22:40

And so for a person like me, who is striving to understand the direction and will of God in my life, it is a beautiful things to have things simplified. No command can go in a different direction than these. When my imperfect head spins, and I don't even know what to ask God for, I can rest in the request for the strength to do these two things. Sure, life gets confusing and complicated. Sure situations arise where I can be awfully unsure of exactly what God would have me do. But I can use these two commands as a compass. Point me in the way to love you fully God. Shine your light on the footholds that will allow me to love my neighbor most effectively. Maybe even let me call it fun to walk in the path of your commands, now that I don't have to fear death.

Let me be like this teacher who was at least wise enough to know that serving the one God is the way. I do not want to create a long list of dos and don'ts that become little gods as I strive to keep them all.

Jesus, in your words we find the commands to focus our life. In your works we find the solution for the problem of death.


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