One of the scribes came up and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Have you ever met with a counselor? The pursuit of counseling has become more common as we have started to recognize the importance of mental health to our well-being. The work of counseling goes beyond the answers of what to do in a hard situation and pursues the heart of the problem to initiate change there. Further still, Jesus gives us a new way to live. Where we seek practical advice because it gives us clarity and short-term solutions, Jesus is after the heart work that will change us. His call to love the Lord and love people brings all the other commands together.
These commands remind us that the whole point of our existence is about being with Him and showing others His love. It requires staying close to Him to learn the areas where we are not loving Him. Loving others is also not convenient or quick. Where we look for efficiency, God is after relationship. Where the scribes wanted to trick Jesus, and point out what He was missing, Jesus pointed them to the heart of God. God desires to change our hearts, not just adjust our behavior. He has given us a new way of life beyond a simple list of things to do. Let’s walk with Him today.
- What is the difference between wanting to know what to do in a situation and wanting take on a new way of life?
- Why do you think God is after heart change? How has your heart changed to love Him and others since you began following Him? What areas still need to be impacted by His change?
- Pray and ask God to tune your heart to love Him and others.
