Mark 12:28
One of the scribes approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which command is the most important of all?”
There are 613 commandments in the books of Moses. The Torah. 365 of these are prohibitions, things not to do, and 248 are commands, things to do. It was a widespread practice for Rabbis to spend time arguing over a hierarchy of these commandments. The commands had been broken down into classes. Some commands carried more weight. Others were lighter. Still, there was a continued argument over which commands were most important and which were minor.
Why was this of interest to the Rabbis? Why did they care if one command carried more weight than another? Was it to make clear the rules that were of the temple and distinguish them from the rules of daily living? Perhaps, it was for the same reason that the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16 asked, “Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?” The question was more about the minimum instead of the maximum. What is the least I can do? What is the least I can give? What is the least expected? The rich young ruler was told to sell it all and give to the poor and he walked away, grieving. The least he could give was everything.
The Rabbis didn’t want to do the maximum. They wanted to put the rules in a hierarchy and follow the most important rules. Wherever we find rules, we find ways around them. Just like taxes, we are always looking for loopholes. And when we can’t find a loophole, we wait until the rule no longer applies and then we break it. I wish I could tell you how many military men I have seen retire and then immediately let their hair get long and grow a beard. They may get a haircut and shave shortly after, but they just want to do something they were told they couldn’t do.
I admit this has been my attitude at times. There are days when the length of the workday and the pressure of ministry become so great that I simply feel exhausted. Do I need to visit the church member who is sick or hurting? Do I need to have that last choir or worship practice? Do I need to go on that mission trip? I don’t feel like writing that hymn You have placed on my heart; I have so much to do already. Visitation, practice, sharing the gospel, and hymn writing are difficult, but they are also worth it. The result brings glory to God. It all brings God glory.
It is natural to want to prioritize ministry. I have read books and articles and had classes on how to do that. It is easy to convince oneself to do what will result in the greatest rewards, but sometimes the kingdom is about an individual, not a group. That person needs some one-on-one time. A pastor told me that this job could be the easiest job you’ve ever had or the hardest job you’ve ever had. There are plenty of ways to get out of ministry. The idea is to be effective, not lazy. We should never look for ways out but for ways to do it better!
The hierarchy of commands was an argument without end and the scribe was looking for someone to bring the argument to a close. Jesus had shown His authority in His earlier answers. He had shown He was worthy and truthful, and He could settle this argument as well. Even though His answer would not end the argument between the religious leaders, it would settle the matter for the scribe. It settles the matter for you and me.
I look at our lives today and the similarities we have with the Pharisees. We spend time trying to decide which commands we must follow, and which we can ignore. We often read our Bible with a salad bar approach. Pick what you like and leave the rest. We have adopted this in how we live our lives. Somewhere along the way we have decided there are commands in the Bible we must do, and there are commands we can ignore. We must go to worship, but we need not tithe. We must listen to the sermon but singing songs of praise to God is optional. We must pray for our friends, but we can skip praying for people we do not like or do not respect. We treat God’s commands as suggestions.
We also apply this hierarchy to sin. We can cheat on our taxes, but we cannot cheat on our spouse. We can have sex out of wedlock if we plan to get married. We can overcharge on a business deal, but that is just business. We can have a child if it is wanted but abort the child if it is going to be a hardship. Here is the bottom line, a command is a command, and sin is sin. We cannot ignore one and keep another. I am not saying sins have equal consequences. They do not. I will not lose my family by being selfish and eating the last donut, but if I cheat on my wife, I very well may. One sin, gluttony, and another, infidelity, have different consequences. Still, both are sins and require our repentance and God’s forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ. (John 1:9)
The truth is that all sin is evil and separates us from God, but not all sin will have the same earthly results. Peter sinned when he denied Christ. Judas sinned when he betrayed Christ. Peter was forgiven (John 21: 15-19) and Christ said of Judas it would have been better had he never been born (Mark 14:21). If you slap me across the face, you may be arrested and charged with assault. If you kill me, you may be arrested and charged with murder. The consequences for you and for me are very different, but God sees sin the same. Sin is sin. Personally, I prefer to get slapped across the face.
We ask questions of God. We lift them up in our prayers. We have discussions with one another and debate the answers. We mention the questions in Bible studies. We ask the pastor, but often we already know the answer. Some point to Luke 10:25-26 where Jesus asks the expert in the law what he thought. The scribe already knew the answer, “love your neighbor.” Often, the question is not about knowledge, but about obedience. In Luke 10:29 the scribe asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Did you catch that? He was asking who he could leave out.
Will we do what God commands? Will we take the hard steps to follow Him? Will we love those He created no matter their circumstance in life, no matter their beliefs? Will we put the desires of Jesus before the desires we have for our own life? Are we willing to give up our rights for the sake of another? Are we willing to die to self and live for Christ? Are we willing to do the least of the commands? Jesus told us that those who break the least of these commands and teach others to do so will be the least in Heaven. (Mat 5:19)
In the end, the scribe agreed with Jesus’ answer and Jesus told him that he was not far from the kingdom of God. (Mark 12:34) What he was lacking was the final step, the most important step, making Jesus Lord and Savior. What he wanted were answers. What he needed was to become a disciple. He needed to follow Jesus. He needed to believe. He needed the Truth, and the truth is that Jesus must be our priority. We must love Him above all others.
Remember that “I am second” bracelet? To be second means to put something or someone first. Those “someones” are everyone, but the most important “someone” is Jesus. Have you put Him first?
Worshiping God 