Church & Israel Forum

Home

Mail Box - Send Us Your Questions and Comments

     In Mark 12:29-31, we read of the two greatest commandments given by Jesus: "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."

     This is Christianity "boiled down" to its pure essence. Here we have two mitz-vot or commandments that are central for the Christian faith, but it is interesting that these two commandments are not entirely new. We actually see them reflected in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. Like he did in so many other instances, Jesus merely reemphasized the Old Testament.

     Our first problem when we deal with commandments is that we just can’t seem to keep them. It doesn’t matter whether we have two commandments or 613, like the Jews have. Actually, Adam only had one and he couldn’t keep it.

     In the Bible we see that there is a curse upon everyone who wants to live strictly according to commandments. That curse is found in Galatians 3:10 and reads: "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.’" One of the greatest passages in the Bible extolling commandments is Psalm 119. It is also the longest chapter in the Bible. After extolling the commandments and pledging to live by them for 176 verses the Psalmist ends with these pitiful words: "I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant...."

     So, the first question we must answer is why God would command us to do something that we simply cannot do? The Bible answers this important question for us, telling us that in a real sense it is already done for us. In 1 John 4:10 it is said: "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." We see a similar thing in Galatians 3:13 where it is said: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’" We see in the Bible that Jesus died for us, justifying us and making us acceptable to God. This is true love pictured and personified for us.

     One of the happiest verses in the Bible regarding commandments and our keeping them is Philippians 2:13: "for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." God didn’t leave us to live on our own. God not only has saved and justified us, but in Jesus he comes to live within us and to keep his own commands through us. So, since this huge and troubling question about keeping commands is answered, we can move on to consider these two greatest commandments of Jesus.

LOVE THE LORD

     The first and greatest commandment is that we love the Lord with all our heart, soul mind and strength. Thus, we are called upon to love the Lord with all our being.

     The heart is the center of our affections and also of our conscience. In all our love to God we must ask: "Is my heart in it?" The love of God is a heart thing. It requires purity of heart or focus our love upon God. We read in 2 Chronicles 25:2 about King Amaziah. It is said of this king: "He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly." Imagine that! Here is a man who did what was right but still failed the test because it was not from the heart.

     God wants us to have a heart like David. Even as a young man he had a heart after God. His soul was aflame with thirst for God (Psa. 63:1). David was not perfect but he was God’s man, and God overlooked his sins. The Bible does say in Proverbs 10:12 that "...love covers over all wrongs." On one occasion David and his men ate the bread of the presence at the Tabernacle of God. Only the priests were allowed to eat that holy bread, but David and his men were hungry and that was the only bread available. We might wonder what would have happened had Saul and his men eaten that holy bread? Because the heart is so important in this matter of loving God, we have this command about the heart in Proverbs 4:23: "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

     Next, we are commanded to love God with all our soul. This is speaking about that non-material self of ours. It is speaking about that real life, spirit, breath or person. It is very difficult for us to distinguish between heart, spirit and soul but it is no problem for God. His word can divide between soul and spirit (Heb. 4:12). These hidden inner parts of us must be aflame with the love and a constant desire for the living God. We read in Ps.42:2, "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God...."

     Then we are to love God with all our minds or our understanding. This is speaking of our consciousness and our thoughts. All this is seen as very close to the heart in the Bible and it is not always possible for us to distinguish it. Often, the mind is a great area of attack from the devil. Many people are losing the battle of the mind in this modern day. In John 10:10, the Bible says the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. He likes to steal the word from us and destroy our minds by dumping them full of the junk and garbage of our day.

     We must love the Lord with all our minds, meditating in God’s law day and night. We must keep our thoughts on things that are lovely and true (Phil. 4:8). This involves discipline to stay on track and think godly thoughts. God will help us in this effort.

     Last of all, we must love the Lord with all our strength. Strength conveys the idea of might, power, ability. In Ecclesiastes 9:10 we read: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might...." This especially applies to loving God. We see in 2 Samuel 6:14 that David used all his strength and might in worshipping God: "David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might...."

     Now that we see the different human spheres of expressions of love, we must make clear that for the Christian this love is to be focused upon Jesus. This is what makes a difference in believers, and why some burn with godly fervor and others are only mediocre. We simply must keep this flame of Jesus’ love burning brightly in our hearts. This is especially true as we approach the last days. Jesus even warns us about these times saying: "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved" (Mt. 24:12-13).

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

     The second great commandment of Jesus is that we love our neighbors just as we love ourselves. This should be easy for us once we are loving God with all our hearts. The love of neighbor should naturally flow out from this relationship. For us today the word "neighbor" conveys the idea of the person next door to us. However, in the Bible the Hebrew word ray'-ah means an associate, brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, or a neighbor. We learn in the parable of the Good Samaritan that a neighbor can be almost anyone, even a foreigner who has compassion on us or who needs compassion shown (Luke 10:30-37). Let us consider some areas of love for our neighbors.

     There is the love for our wives, husbands and families. Again, when we love God with all our hearts, minds, and souls this love should be easy. My wife can always tell when I am really close to the Lord. Sometimes I act quite religious and think I am close to the Lord, but my wife gently brings me down to reality. At such times she has been heard to say "Honey, I hope you hurry up and get close to the Lord again!" She knows that when I am truly close to the Lord I love her a lot more.

     Of course, the love of our neighbors will extend to our friends and associates. It will even extend to our enemies. In Romans 12:20 we are instructed: "...If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink...."

     The love of our neighbors should certainly extend to our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ, or the church. It has long been said that the church is the only army on earth that shoots its wounded. This statement reflects the rather cold and callused approach we Christians sometimes take toward one another.

     We might ask what real Christian love is. Love often begins with sincere interest expressed in others. In Philippians 2:4 we are instructed: "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." We should place the success and well being of others above our own, of course within scriptural limits.

     There are a lot of things touching our relationships with fellow believers. We need to be quick to clear up these relationships as we walk in the light and not in the shadows. We need to be quick to give scriptural correction (1 Thess. 5:14). But we also need to be eager to give encouragement. In 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Paul says: "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."

     Paul says in Romans 12:9-10: "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." We should be careful to associate with those of low position and live in harmony with all our spiritual brothers and sisters (Rom. 12:16). We should support the weak as we are told in Acts 20:35.

     We should make an effort to really know those who labor among us, such as pastors and teachers. The scripture, in 1 Thessalonians 5:13, urges us to "Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work...." We should be careful to practice hospitality. In 1 Peter 4:9 we read: "Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." It is unlikely that any church can be built without this hospitality and close fellowship. Certainly the early church was in an almost constant fellowship from house to house. As a footnote, we should also do our best to "Carry each other’s burdens...." (Gal. 6:2).

     We should be loving to strangers in our midst. Deuteronomy 10:19, Israel was told: "And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt." Oft times these strangers appear in the midst of our church fellowships. Too often we ignore them and continue our conversations with our beloved church friends.

     We should be aware that strangers, whether inside or outside of the church, will not always act in a Christian manner or even appear grateful. I remember that many years ago as a young pastor I took some groceries to a needy family. As I entered the house the television was blaring and the whole family seemed glued to it. Almost without looking up, the mother instructed me to set the grocery box on the kitchen counter. As I sat it down I heard her remark, "Oh you brought the wrong kind of cereal." As I remember, no one uttered "thanks" or even "goodbye." In these situations, if we are doing the work for the Lord we do not need appreciation or thanks from people.

     Also, I have noticed over the years that people’s problems are usually much more complex than they at first appear. Often God is dealing with people about sinful things in their lives and that is why they have a problem in the first place. The car on the freeway that is apparently out of gas will likely also have a dead battery. When we resolve to help the stranger we need to be prepared to deal with other problems in their lives.

     The scripture tells us that there is a special reward in reaching out to strangers. In Hebrews 13:2 we read: "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Those faithful saints will hear the Master’s words on the day of judgment: "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me" (Matt. 25:35-36).

     We saw earlier that God has done absolutely everything for us. He has shown real love and concern for us. He has saved us, sanctified us, and now he lives within us to help us accomplish his good purposes. Since everything is done regarding our justification and righteousness we can now spend our time, minds, energy, and strength just loving God and those around us. We must remember, it is not that we loved God but that he loved us and gave his Son for our salvation.

                                                                                                                   - Jim Gerrish

This article is a condensed and updated version of a sermon presented some years earlier at at Calvary Chapel in Tiberias, Israel. Publication date, 2003.