The Greatest Commandment Series

INTRODUCTION:

Last week we saw How God’s Love is the greatest! Today we will look at what is the greatest commandment for us! What is the greatest act a human could commit? What is the greatest deed? What does the Bible teach us?

Humor: Words, and how you say them make a difference. “Attending a marriage seminary, one husband was impressed by the instructor's encouragement that when they arrive home, they would say something mesmerizing to their wife. For example, gaze deeply into her eyes and say sweetly, "Honey when I look at you, time stands still." He practiced on the way home. His wife met him at the door, upset that he had taken so long to return home. When she finished fussing at him, he spoke up, "Honey, you have a fact that would stop a clock!"

RECAP: Last week we saw How God’s Love is the greatest! Today we will look at what is the greatest commandment for us!

Text: Mark 12:28-34, KJV (Find Deuteronomy chapter 6)

(28) And 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? (29) And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: (30) And 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. (31) And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. (32) And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: (33) And 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 neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. (34) And 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. KJV

THE SETTING: The days that led to this exchange were very precarious!

Let’s review…

The day was filled with uncertainty. The end was near.

The Triumphal Entry, chapter 11, pictured the Messiah riding a colt into Jerusalem. The Colt’s feet trampled both the clothes of men and palm branches. The chorus chimed ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

The Parable of the Fruitless Fig Tree: Mark 11:12-14

The Temple Cleansing: He went into the Temple and took over the entire complex. He drove out the buyers and sellers. He overturned tables and seats.

He cleansed the house of prayer.

Instantly the setting became an atmosphere of attack and argumentation.

Mark 11:18, the Scribes and chief priests sought how to destroy Him.

The Opposition: The chief priests, scribes, and elders questioned His authority. “And they said to Him, ‘By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?’ (11:28).

The Lord skillfully replied with His own question: ‘the baptism of John was it from heaven or men? Answer Me.’

His authority was challenged! Mark 11:27-33

Two different questions were asked.

The first question concerned paying taxes to Caesar.

Next the Sadducees asked Him concerning marriage in the resurrection.

When they refused to answer, the Lord told them The Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen, or vinedressers. Mark 12:1-11

This only made them angrier, because they were the wicked vinedressers who killed all the servants and the Son.

They were set to be destroyed by the Owner of the Vineyard!

The tension heightened when the Pharisees and Herodians tried to catch Him in His own words (12:13).

Next, Mark records an exchange of between Jesus and one of the Scribes. 12:13-27

Intriguing because the questioner was one of them. He was a scribe! He was also a Pharisee and a lawyer (Matthew 22:34-35).

The Scribes: In ancient times, scribes held various important offices in the public affairs of the nation.

The scribes acted as secretaries of state, whose business was to prepare and issue decrees in the name of the King. There was also a subordinate class of scribes, most of whom were Levites, engaged in many ways as writers.

?Baruch, who wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord (Jeremiah 36:4, 32), was a scribe.

? Ezra was also a scribe. After the captivity, the scribes turned their attention to the law, gaining for themselves distinction by their intimate acquaintance with its contents.

They were a human printing press making copies of the law and teaching others.