Bible Study with Danelle

As we continue to Mark’s account of passion week, we continue to see the Pharisees try to trap Jesus with questions. He ends up giving them a lesson they would not forget.

They start by asking Jesus if it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar. Jesus’ answer?

Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s

Mark 12:17

They also question the resurrection and Jesus tells them that we will be like angels in heaven. Everything will be so incredibly different (and what God originally intended) when we get to heaven.

Then, they ask Jesus what is the most important commandment and Jesus answers:

Jesus is telling us that we are supposed to love God with our ENTIRE being. Every inch. Every day. Every Hour.

This commandment is not just for Sunday morning worship. It is not just for when we are going through a trial. It is not just for Christmas and Easter.

This is for every day, every part of who we are.

So what does it mean to love with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength? My FireBible commentary had a great explanation.

To love God with all your heart is similar to our how we would love our spouse or children, but at a higher level. It means that He is the source and object of our greatest passions and desires. He has our full devotion and affection. It means we are willing to do anything for Him.

To love God with all your soul means that our deepest longings, emotions, and convictions must be focused on Christ and bringing honor to Him. Your soul is the core of who you are, the real you. Your identity must be in Christ. You are a child of God.

To love God with all your mind shows that serving Him is not just emotions and feelings. It means you are deliberate in your actions and they are focused on pleasing God and not the world.

To love God with all your strength means that you are giving him all your best energy and effort to serve Him. It also means you must persevere when times are tough, you are challenged or even physically exhausted.

Jesus then tells us that the second commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. I feel this commandment wraps all the other commandments into one. If you are loving your neighbor, you are not going to steal, you are going to honor your parents, and you are not going to commit murder or adultery, or covet. You are also not going to lie.

Basically, Jesus summed up all 10 commandments into two.

Love God. Love each other.

If we truly lived out these commandments, our world would be a completely different place.

Today I pray that each of us will do our very best to live out this great commandment. That we will examine our lives to see if we are truly loving God how He has asked us to love Him.