Love Must Be A Priority

Love Must Be A Priority

Mark 12:28-34

There was a man who only had an eighth-grade education. But this man wanted to be a soul-winner. God had laid a brilliant attorney on his heart. Obeying the Lord, he went to talk to the lawyer about Jesus Christ. But no sooner had he begun when the attorney used his legal training and brilliant mind to turn the man inside out. The man finally apologized for coming and for taking the attorney's time. He left with tears in his eyes as he said to the lawyer, "I just want you to know that I came here because I love you.

Dejected, he went home to his wife and said, "I don't want to be bothered. I don't want to talk to anyone the rest of the day. I just want to go to my room and be left alone; I feel like such a failure. About an hour later, the lawyer came and knocked on the man's door. He told the man's wife he would like to see her husband. She said, "I'm sorry, but he is not seeing anyone today." "Oh," he said, "I think he will see me. just tell him who I am." So the husband allowed the attorney to come into his room. He said, "Why have you come? Have you come to make fun of me? Have you come to argue with me again?. You know I cannot argue with you." The lawyer said, "No, I haven't come to argue with you. I have come to ask you to tell me how to be saved." The man replied, "I don't understand. What changed your mind? Every time I tried to tell you about Jesus you came up with an argument that I couldn't answer." The lawyer said, "Yes, I did. But you came up with an argument that I couldn't answer." This soul-winner looked at him and said, "What was that?" The lawyer replied, "When you looked at me and told me you loved me, I couldn't argue with that."

Love can do amazing things. Friends, love is essential in the life of a child of God! - 1 Corinthians 13:1 ¶Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

In Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy there are 613 laws given to men. There are some that instruct man to do certain things as well as some that forbid men to partake in certain actions. These laws formed the heart of Jewish belief and was the driving force behind the “Scribes & Pharisees” They would spend a great deal of their time debating these laws and seeking to identify the “greatest” among them.

Jesus takes the entire law and sums it up with two statements about one word “Love”

In verse 13 of this chapter we find that Jesus is among a deceptive group of people seeking to trip him up so to speak - v13 ¶And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.

1. The Pharisees asked about giving money to Caesar - v13-17

2. Then the Sadducees (who don’t believe in a resurrection) asked him about the resurrection - v18-27

3. Then comes one of the scribes - v28 ¶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?

I. The Explanation Of The Great Commandment - v29 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.

Jesus answers the question “Which is the first commandment of all?” by inserting that man must love God above everything else in this world.

Jesus is quoting the "Shema." Found in - Deuteronomy 6:4 ¶Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5 and thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: