Today’s Bible Reading:
Deuteronomy 1-2; Mark 12
Topic: Responsibility
SCRIPTURE: Mark 12:28-34
28 One of the
teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given
them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the
most important?"
29 "The
most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel
32 "Well
said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is
one and there is no other but him. 33
To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your
strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all
burnt offerings and sacrifices."
34 When Jesus
saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the
kingdom of God
(Mark 12:28-34 NIV)
OBSERVATION:
The Pharisees and Sadducees generally despised and hated
Jesus. The common people loved Him. However, with a few notable exceptions, the
wealthy and educated class of Jews in that day (Pharisees, Sadducees, teachers
of the Law, scribes, etc.), were vexed by Jesus’ wisdom and popularity with the
general population. They narcissistically and repeatedly tried to show off
their superiority by attempting to show Him up for the mere Galilean carpenter
low life they believed He was; and He one-upped them every time. Such was the
case preceding this passage in Mark 12. But then, one “teacher of the law”
found himself agreeing with Jesus’ assessment of the “most important”
commandments: Love the One God with all you have and love others as you love
yourself.
When this teacher acknowledged his agreement with and
adherence to these two greatest commandments, Jesus said an interesting thing
to him: "You are not far from the kingdom of God
APPLICATION:
The world would be a much finer place if everyone lived
their lives “not far from God’s kingdom.” However, living just outside the
borders is still living outside. One of the famous “one-liners” of secret agent
Maxwell Smart in the television sitcom Get
Smart, when he failed at something, was to say, “missed it by that much.”
Romans 3:23 tells us the truth that we have all missed the
mark. Mark does not identify the man who was “not far” from eternal life. I’d
like to think that he took that next step from just outside to inside God’s
kingdom by becoming a disciple of Jesus—by entering into a personal
relationship with the Savior.
I don’t want people to “miss it by that much.” I don’t want
people to just get close but still fall short. My job as a disciple and
follower of Jesus is help show people how through relationship with Jesus
Christ they can enter into the Kingdom
of God
PRAYER:
Lord, this world is full of people who are missing the mark.
Whether we are not far from Your kingdom or quite far and moving away, we all
need the Savior. May the human inhabitants of this fallen planet recognize
their need and accept Your provision—Your Son—and enter into the joy of Your
Kingdom. May I do my part with Your help to show them. Thy kingdom come, thy
will be done. Amen. -AP
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