The Foremost is Love
We do not use the word foremost very much in every day conversation. It seems to me to be a word with a special connotation. It means something that is the most important, but also, I think it denotes the highest ideal of a particular thing. Therefore, when Jesus was asked about the "foremost commandment," we need to take His answer very seriously, if we are a disciple of Jesus. (Mark 12:29-31) What do you think?
Jesus goes back to the most important command in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 6:5. Not only is there only one Lord, but we are to love Him with our whole being, heart, soul, mind, and strength. Half-hearted, less than totally sincere love for Him is not enough. Only the foremost love for the Foremost God will complete the foremost commandment. However, that kind of love is so complete that we will also love our neighbor, all others around us, with an unselfish love, giving them the love we have for ourselves. No other commandments come close to these, and if we love to the foremost we please the Lord and fulfill the other commandments out of our love for Him and others. That should be the foremost goal in our lives, so that we give ourselves to this quality of love fully. The only way to do that is to obey the Lord out of this kind of love, because if we love Him, we will obey Him. Love is not just a feeling, but it is a choice.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Mark 13-15.
Jesus goes back to the most important command in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 6:5. Not only is there only one Lord, but we are to love Him with our whole being, heart, soul, mind, and strength. Half-hearted, less than totally sincere love for Him is not enough. Only the foremost love for the Foremost God will complete the foremost commandment. However, that kind of love is so complete that we will also love our neighbor, all others around us, with an unselfish love, giving them the love we have for ourselves. No other commandments come close to these, and if we love to the foremost we please the Lord and fulfill the other commandments out of our love for Him and others. That should be the foremost goal in our lives, so that we give ourselves to this quality of love fully. The only way to do that is to obey the Lord out of this kind of love, because if we love Him, we will obey Him. Love is not just a feeling, but it is a choice.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Mark 13-15.