The Most Important Command

When we refer to something as the "most important" we are trying to send a message that others will remember. We are saying that it is not just important, it is more important than anything else in that category. Now, just think about Jesus. When our Lord went on record to say what was most important, He was trying to get everyone's attention. Especially, since He was giving us all the most important command of God. Don't you think we need to listen? I think so. (Mark 12:29-31) Jesus went back to what God had revealed to Moses in Deuteronomy 6:4, and He told us to "Listen, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." Then, He added the second most important command to go with it, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus emphasized to all of us that there is no other command greater than these. I believe, it would be very beneficial for us to reflect on what Jesus said.

In essence Jesus was saying that the most important command of God was love. We are to put love above all of the other things we do. Love should characterize our lives in all we do. Since God is love, and we can love because we are made in His image, we should love Him first and foremost. Yes, and if He has saved us from our sins through faith in Jesus Christ, we should love Him even more. We should love Him with all that is within us, our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Our love should be so sincere and so complete that we love Him with every fiber of our being, and we love Him that way all of the time. Then, for the same reasons, plus the fact that God loves everyone in the world completely, we must love our neighbor as we love ourselves. At another time Jesus explained that our neighbor is everyone else in the world, so we are to care for everyone with the same love that we care for ourselves. Now, once we love like this, we will keep all of the other commands of God, because they all come under one of these commands. I pray we all hear what Jesus said loud and clear, and that we make it our aim to live and love like Jesus in God's power every day.  

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Mark 13-15.