“Foremost Commandment”
“Foremost Commandment”
Blessings folk!
The Pharisees had sought to entrap Jesus with a question.
The Sadducees then tried next.
Both failed.
A scribe heard the interchange…
Mar 12:28-31
One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?”
Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD;
AND YOU SHALL 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, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The scribe heard the argument
The scribe knew that Jesus answered them well.
So the scribe asked a question.
“What commandment is the foremost of all?”
Was he seeking to entrap Jesus?
Did he truly desire and answer?
Perhaps we will know as we continue through the account…
What was Jesus’ answer?
The foremost commandment s to “hear!”
“Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is One Lord”.
We are to hear.
We are to understand that the Lord is One Lord.
From this comes two out-livings of this truth.
- Love the Lord your God will all your heart, soul, mind, strength.
(2) Love your neighbor as yourself.
Love God totally.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus gave a direct, forthright answer.
That might be a hint as to the true intent of the scribe.
Also, the fact that he recognized that Jesus has answered well…
For today…
For us…
Do we?
Love God, love our neighbor.