Jesus and the First Commandment of All.

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Matt. 22:34-4034But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:34‑40). Mark 12:28-3428And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. 32And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: 33And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. 34And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question. (Mark 12:28‑34).
The Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees. (Matt. 22:3434But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. (Matthew 22:34).) Then they gathered together for another attack upon Him. One of these Pharisees, who was a lawyer (in Mark, he is called a “scribe”), asked him a question, tempting Him. This shows the wickedness that was at the bottom of the question. It was not an honest question, in order to get light, but an effort still to tempt Jesus, and catch Him in His words. This was what the Pharisees desired, although in. Mark, the scribe seems to give an honest approval of Jesus’ answer to the question, and Jesus told him he was “not far from the kingdom of God.” Whether this scribe ever entered the kingdom of God, or not, we do not know. He was not far from it; but, oh! how many have been brought, as it were, to the very door of the kingdom, and have not entered. How often boys and girls, men and women, have been brought to the very point of yielding to Christ, but have not yielded, and have gone down from the very door of the kingdom of God to hell! Oh! may it not be so with you.
The lawyer asked, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus answered very simply, and in such a way as to appeal to their consciences, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” The scribe acknowledged that this was the truth, and that to love God and man in that perfect way was “more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
This is the love that God required in the law; and very blessed it is, if such love is in activity. The whole heart, the whole soul, the whole mind, giving forth all their energies in love to God! Surely it is what is due to God from His creatures. No lower standard could God give. And then He requires that man should love his neighbor as himself. All this is perfect; but alas! who has come up to this perfect standard? Have you, reader? No, you know you have not. Men hate God, and hate one another. They broke His law, killed His prophets and murdered His Son Jesus Christ. And men cheat, and rob, and kill one another, This is just the opposite of God’s commandments. And thus men are condemned. What is to be done? Is there any remedy for this sad condition of the human race? Thank God there is. “God is love:” and if we have failed to love Him, He has not failed to love us. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” ¤ Jno. 4:1010Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. (John 4:10).
“God commendeth His, love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8).
Oh! how blessed is the love of God. It exceeds the love in the commandments of the law. For, when we were the enemies of God, and had murdered His Son, He provided salvation for us through the blood our guilty hands had shed, the blood of Jesus. What could be more wonderful!
Do you know this love? and are s you living in the power of it, as those in whose hearts it is shed abroad by the Holy Ghost? Rom. 5:55And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Romans 5:5).
ML 08/23/1903