The Heartbeat of the Word

I’m working through a series of studies based upon the words of Jesus. Why? This line of thinking has been part and parcel of my identity since my teenage years, but until I reached my stride in my 60’s I had not really stopped and thought about it.

Somewhere in my past these words impacted me and probably changed who I could have become. This is not about doctrine or dogma that separates the Christian community into their respective corners. This is about Theology. What is Theology? It’s simple.

Theology: The study of the nature of God and religious belief.

Not My Words, But His

Lest I confuse the issue with my view, let me share with you the words from the Gospel of Mark. (Emphasis Mine). The religious authorities had sent “spies” into the midst of Jesus to hear him, and perhaps “catch Him in His words.” (Mark 12:13) At the ending of a long discourse about Paying Taxes and Understanding the Resurrection, a Scribe comes to Jesus, and it is perhaps a private moment between the two, but it is included in the Gospels for all to read.

Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together,
perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him,
“Which is the first commandment of all?”

Jesus answered him,
“The first of all the commandments is: ‘
Hear, o Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
And you shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’
This is the first commandment.
And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

There is no other commandment greater than these.”

So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him,
“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
But after that no one dared question Him.
(Mark 12:28-34 NKJV)

The Greatest Words

These are, perhaps, the greatest words recorded in the Gospels because it tells you the heartbeat of God and all his dealings with humanity.

Love God. Love Man. You are not far from the Kingdom of God…

When you love God, as Jesus says, you do so with your entire being. Heart. Soul. Mind. Strength. This is your foundation for loving others. And you do not get to choose which one is more important than the other. Why? Loving Others is Loving God. Loving God means I must love Others.

Sometimes I’m drawn kicking and screaming back to this thought. I cannot express my love for God if I do not love all of humanity! No matter how weird or different they are or how right or wrong they may be. No matter if I like them or not!

I must Love Everyone! You are not far from the Kingdom of God!

This truly happens if I’m totally in Love with God! Why? Jesus said it: There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Check Your Heart

Does it beat like God’s heart? While it is true we do not like what others do, you must still love them! Why? We are made in His Image. (Genesis 1:26-27) We do not have to blindly trust every human because the nature of man is to choose their own path, but we do have to love everyone, even the unlovable!

Perhaps this is what it meant when it describes David as a man after God’s own heart! (Acts 13:22) What did this scripture finalize? “A man after my own heart who will do all my will.” David showed his love and compassion in everyday life. He fought a lion and a bear to save his flock! His defense of the flock was similar to how God defended Israel, but his love for God did not limit his reaction to a blasphemer! Yes. He slew Goliath!

Love God. Love Man. You are not far from the Kingdom of God!

Think About It

Think about it from the audience Jesus spoke to. They knew these words. They were part of the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses. The Law! (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Leviticus 19:9-18)

Now. Think about it from the perspective of the words we use in everyday language. James, the half-brother of Jesus, writes it like this:

But no man can tame the tongue.
It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
With it we bless our God and Father,
and with it we curse men,
who have been made in the similitude of God.
Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.
My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
(James 3:8-10 NKJV)

If our words should not be used to espouse the negative, then our love for others should not be called into question. Let me give you a song that sort of says this all. Maybe you’ll think it through better with me.

Loving God, Loving Each Other