40 Day Devotionals 2014 Day 41

No, it is not a mistake! Remember, I include all days of Lent, not just the 40 weekdays of Lent but also the Sunday Sabbath days.

Day 41

Scripture

Mark 12:28-34

-    Before Reading the scripture today; Pray and ask the spirit to guide you in the reading:
-     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: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[b] 31 the second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[c] There is no commandment greater than these.”  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.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

Wisdom

-    I love Mark’s version of the Great Commandment passage. Same setup and all but Jesus’ response to the teacher was pretty interesting. He says that he isn’t far from the kingdom of God. He didn’t say, you are close to getting it right, or you have found the answer, he actually put the man in closeness to God’s Kingdom. Think about that for a minute!
-    If we understand that Loving God with all our heart and strength and loving neighbors as ourselves is more important than offerings or sacrifices we will be close to the Kingdom of God. So many people have asked, and here is the answer. What do Christians do? Well here is what we are supposed to do. Jesus just gave us the “Big Picture.”

Apply

-    Imagine you were the person talking to Jesus. You ask Him this question with a thought in your mind that you need a big question answered. What is the big question in your mind? Right now what is the largest issue in your head? Does Jesus’ answer help you?
-    Don’t take this passage as a cut-down or a scolding. Take it as the wisest thing you have ever heard and apply it.


Prayer

-    Ask the Lord to help you love Him with “with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Take this to the next step. Find someone in your heart that is difficult to love. Ask the Lord to do the same with that person for you. That you may love others like you love yourself. Now praise Him for these gifts and abilities and for His Grace.