" Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that Jesus had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?”
Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.'
So the scribe said to Him, 'Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.'
Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God" (Mark 12:28-35).
At the time of Jesus, the scribes were "professional students of Old Testament Law" and they were "zealous defenders of the Law and hence were the true teachers of the people".[1] They had "formed a solid profession which held undisputed sway over the thoughts of the people."[1] However the people began to notice that Jesus was different; "He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes" (Matthew 7:29).
Earlier in Mark 12 the scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus a question about the resurrection and He told them they did not understand the scriptures. However this scribe Jesus knew understood; he understood that loving God and your neighbors was more important than "all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices". And Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God".
Throughout the Bible God looks at the heart. David loved God but even he missed the mark; transgressing outside the boundaries that God had set by the law. But he was transparent with God and always returned to Him. So whom does God prefer? an adulterer who loves Him or one who obeys the laws and traditions of men? Oh we say, if I love God I will not be an adulterer, nor a drunkard, nor a ... God prefers someone who loves Him and does His will; "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will" (Acts 13:22).
Jesus said loving God and your neighbor fulfills the law and is most important to God. This scribe understood at a time when God's people were under the law. Today we are under Grace, not a cheap Grace but one made possible by His death and Resurrection, and we have the power of God that raised Him from the dead living in us (Ephesians 1:13-15). Yet sometimes we do not understand the scriptures. I pray that you are not far from the Kingdom of God. I pray that you grow in wisdom and understanding of Him.
[1] Orr,James."International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.
http://www.biblestudytools.com/encyclopedias/isbe/scribes.html
[2] Webster. Webster's 1913 Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
http://1913.mshaffer.com/d/search/_words.word,legalism
Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.'
So the scribe said to Him, 'Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.'
Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God" (Mark 12:28-35).
Earlier in Mark 12 the scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus a question about the resurrection and He told them they did not understand the scriptures. However this scribe Jesus knew understood; he understood that loving God and your neighbors was more important than "all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices". And Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God".
Throughout the Bible God looks at the heart. David loved God but even he missed the mark; transgressing outside the boundaries that God had set by the law. But he was transparent with God and always returned to Him. So whom does God prefer? an adulterer who loves Him or one who obeys the laws and traditions of men? Oh we say, if I love God I will not be an adulterer, nor a drunkard, nor a ... God prefers someone who loves Him and does His will; "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will" (Acts 13:22).
Jesus said loving God and your neighbor fulfills the law and is most important to God. This scribe understood at a time when God's people were under the law. Today we are under Grace, not a cheap Grace but one made possible by His death and Resurrection, and we have the power of God that raised Him from the dead living in us (Ephesians 1:13-15). Yet sometimes we do not understand the scriptures. I pray that you are not far from the Kingdom of God. I pray that you grow in wisdom and understanding of Him.
[1] Orr,James."International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.
http://www.biblestudytools.com/encyclopedias/isbe/scribes.html
[2] Webster. Webster's 1913 Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
http://1913.mshaffer.com/d/search/_words.word,legalism