Today's Scripture
Love Your Neighbors – Mark 12:28-31
28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 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.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
RJ's Devotion
What the passage says
V. 28 One of the teachers (Scribes) approaches Jesus. He comes to Jesus after hearing how Jesus had wisely responded to the Sadducees in the previous passage. He asks a question, “Of all the commandments, which is most important?”
V. 29-31 Jesus responds to his question by quoting Deuteronomy 6:4-5. He makes it clear that ‘loving God and loving others’ is the greatest commandment to follow.
What does the passage say to me/us?
Living as a worshiper in this world.
We are called to live as a worshiper. Our purpose is fulfilled when we glorify our Lord, through our life.
Then the questions arise, ‘How in the world can we do that?’
Jesus gives us an answer. By loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. It is to cultivate an appetite to know God. It is to constantly be in relation with our Lord. It is through our personal devotion of praying to God, while we talk and listen to God’s voice, and through reading the scripture to learn more about God. It is through our public devotion of worshiping our Lord, through corporate worship and sharing our lives with a small group.
While we love God, we are also called to love others, in the same way. We are called to love our neighbors, as ourselves. Putting others before ourselves. It starts with the people surrounding us, and it stretches beyond our social boundaries. Through the church, we join hands to reach out to others, whom we might not normally engage with. Then we continue to live in a lifestyle of loving others, regardless of their background. We strive to love them as Jesus loved us.
Through ‘Loving God and Loving others’ we become a worshiper.
A couple of days ago, my friend uploaded a video on Facebook.
I want to share this song with everyone. He plays the saxophone beautifully, but the lyric of this song is more beautiful.
The lyric of the song he is playing follows; (please bear with my translation)
I am a worshiper called to worship our Lord. (나는 하나님을 예배하는 예배자입니다.)
I will worship Him, wherever I am. (내가 서있는 곳 어디서나 하나님을 예배합니다.)
As my soul strive for the Sanctifying Grace (내 영혼 거룩한 은혜를 향하여)
As my heart strive for God’s perfect love (내 마음 완전한 하나님 향하여)
I stand right here to worship our Lord (이곳에서 바로 이 시간 하나님을 예배합니다.)
Have a blessed day!
Prayer
Lord, we want to become a worshiper. We give our heart, soul, mind, and all that we have for you. Use us for your glory.
In Christ name, we pray, AMEN
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