A Serving Leadership Insight from the Life of Jesus Christ (Mark 12:28-34)

“One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating.…he asked him, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?…God is one and there is no other but him. 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.’” (See Mark 12:28-34 for full text)

In Mark 12:28–34, a teacher of the law asked Jesus which of the commandments was primary. The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 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: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Basically, Jesus quoted the Shema or confession of faith that was publicly professed morning and night by pious Jews. He confirmed the unity of God and his covenant love for his people. Secondly, he shared the two values everyone should claim: love God and love people. Loving God is a prerequisite for loving people. Without first honoring God, we can’t truly love people, and loving God without loving one’s neighbor is hypocritical. Jesus tied both values together and rank ordered them for obvious reasons.

KEY QUESTIONS: Why must loving God precede loving others? What would happen if they were rank ordered the other way around? Do I have less than five values that I can easily remember? Are they rank ordered? Do I have clarifying statements for each one?