Love God (Mark 12:28-44 Pt 1)

Life is full of important questions isn’t it? Is it safe to cross the street? Will my teacher mind if i don’t do my notecards, does she like me back? One day those questions will become ‘should i cheat on my tax return,’ and ‘should i ask her to marry me.’ Some important questions change, and some stay the same. How do i know that i’m really saved is one of those that will always stay the same.

How do i know if i’m really saved? We all need an answer to that question. How do in know that i now live in the Kingdom of God, not the kingdom of the world. Has the Kingdom broken out in my heart?

 

That’s more or less the question that the scribes asks at the beginning of our passage tonight. ‘what is the most important commandment of all,’ he asks. What is life like in the Kingdom? Remember we’re still in the temple, this is the same conversation that follows on from last weeks dispute with the religious leaders. Jesus cursed the Temple two weeks ago, and with it denounced religion. Jesus cursed the temple leaders last week, and with it denounced religious people. People who think that they can earn God’s favour, and get God to do what they want Him to by the way they act.

 

The scribe asks a genuine question. He’s not like the Saducees with their marriage in Heaven nonsense question, or like the Pharisees and the Herodians who are trying to catch Him out. He really wants to know. And because he really wants to know, Jesus will give him a straightforward answer. Jesus will never turn away anyone who genuinely seeks Him.

 

So what is the most important commandment? Look at verses 29-31 with me. READ. Jesus tells the scribe that most important things we can do in the Kingdom of God, the best way of knowing that we’ve saved is that we love God, and we love others. Jesus puts these two side by side. He says that if you love others but don’t love God, then your love for others is worthless. He says that if you love God but don’t love others then your love for God is worthless. Jesus says ‘there is no commandment greater than these.’ So how do you know that you’re saved? What is the most important thing that we have to do? Love God, and love other people.

This is worth more than sacrifices and burnt offerings. An amazing thing to say in the Temple, which was built for sacrifices and burnt offerings. Why is love to God and love to people better than sacrifices and offerings? because of what Jesus makes us think about in the next couple of verses. Look at 35-37 with me. The tables are turned here, as now Jesus is the one asking the questions. How can the Messiah be the Son of David, which is one of the few titles that Jesus accepts in Mark’s Gospel, and the Lord of David, as His quotation from Psalm 110 says? This is the great glory of the Gospel. Jesus is descended from David, He’s David’s Son, He is like David, He will rule over the Kingdom of God. But He is also the Lord of David, and will rule over a Kingdom much different from earthly Israel. He rules over the heavenly Kingdom of God that will never end.

 

Jesus offering is better than our offering, and we need to have faith in Him, and Him alone. Jesus will have victory over His enemies, and sit at God’s right hand, so we’d better make sure that we love Him and have faith in Him alone.