THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT

AIM FOR CHANGE

BY THE END OF THE LESSON, WE WILL;

EXPLORE the biblical and spiritual principles behind loving God and our neighbors; DESIRE to genuinely express kindness to those we meet; and PRAY for forgiveness for not universally applying God's love. 

FOCAL VERSES Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Mark 12:28-34

KEEP IN MIND

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:30-31). 

AT-A-GLANCE

1. Love Defined (Leviticus 19:18)

2. Love Commanded (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

3. Love Lived (Mark 12:28-34)

IN FOCUS STORY

The fact that Darrin was in the car alone did not stop him from talking and mumbling under his breath. "I am so sick of this. This guy had better not come up to my car asking my to by some homeless newspaper. It's at the point where you can't stop at a light or pull into a gas station without someone begging."

Darrin wished the light would change. He kept his gaze ahead. He didn't even want to feel sorry for this jerk. For some reason, however, his gaze drifted to the man. That's when he recognized the man's disfigured ear. It was Clyde.

He and Clyde had grown up together in the projects. Clyde's family had always had problems. His dad was in jail and his mom had overwhelming mental issues. His grandmother took care of them. He had been with Clyde during the accident; Darrin had come out unscathed, but Clyde's ear was badly damaged and he lost his hearing in that ear. His family couldn't afford the plastic surgery or any other medical attention, so Clyde bore a disfigurement and disability for life. When Darrin's family moved, he lost touch with Clyde.

Ashamed, Darrin pulled his care over and got out. "Wow," he said this time. "I went on with my life. I should have loved my neighbor enough to find him before now." He walked to Clyde and extended his hand. 

In today's lesson, we can discover what it means to love God with all of our being and to love our neighbor as ourselves. 

THE PEOPLE, PLACES, and TIMES

Scribes. The scribes were more than just copiers. During the time that Israel was captive in Babylon, they became interpreters and preservers of the Scriptures. They knew ancient and contemporary law in depth and functioned in society as judges and lawyers. Although they were often associated with the Pharisees, they were separate group. In the Gospels, they were usually arguing with Jesus over legal matters. 

Whole Burnt Offerings and Sacrifices. A whole burnt offering was the whole of an animal, usually a lamb or a bull. The whole animal carcass was placed on the altar, burned, and consumed with fire. The offerings were placed on the altar daily in the temple courts, and their smoke could be seen on a daily basis. This offering symbolized complete and total dedication to God and His will. Those who offered it saw giving of this offering and other sacrifices as and act of religious devotion to God. 

Kingdom of God. The kingdom of  God was understood to be the rule and reign of God over His people and the whole earth. This was to be accomplished through the Messiah, who would defeat the enemies of God's people and establish a kingdom of peace and justice. It became the hope and dream of the Jews, and expectation was that God would expel the Romans and establish a Jewish king. This was the desire of the Jewish population living in Palestine. Jesus infused this term with spiritual meaning as well, and it became synonymous with the working of the Holy Spirit and righteousness in the life of God's people. 

BACKGROUND

The scribes often argued with Jesus about the correct way to interpret the law. Jesus was questioned on a topic that was currently debated by many rabbis and priest in Israel-which commanded was the greatest. At the time, rabbis, such as Hillel, did not think that all the commandments held equal importance. The idea was to find the "parent" commandment from which all the other commands could be reduced. Jesus responded with two passages familiar to His audience, defining His understanding of the law what is means to truly follow God's commands. 

The command to love was prominent in the Jewish Scriptures and in the religious life of Israel. Love was given first to God. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 states the loyalty that the Israelites were to give God and God alone by loving or desiring Him with all their hearts, minds and strength. This passage is called the Shema. The words of the Shema were to be worn on the hands and head and placed on the doorpost in order to remind faithful Jews of the obligations. Jesus stated that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all of our being. 

The next passage that Jesus cited has to do with love on a social relational level. This command first appears in Leviticus 19:18. In this verse, the Israelites were commanded against holding grudges or taking revenge one each other, but instead to love their neighbors as themselves. This command was given in the context of fostering love between fellow Israelites. Later on, it was widened to include others outside of the nation of Israel. Jesus made this command the second greatest command in the whole Bible. Together, both of these commands constitute what it means to express and experience the kingdom of God. 

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES

1. What actions are in opposition to love (Leviticus 19:18)?

2. What are the indicators of the importance of teaching children to love according to the command of God (Deuteronomy 6:7-9)?

3. Why did the scribe ask Jesus  which commandment was greatest (Mark 12:28)?

4. Explain why we must love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (v. 30). 

5. What does it mean to be "no far from the kingdom of God" (v. 34)?

DISCUSS THE MEANING

1. How can we make loving God and others a priority in our lives?

2. How do these three passages expand the understanding of what it means to love our neighbor?

3. Deuteronomy goes to great length to describe how Israel was to teach children the command of God to love Him and its neighbors. How can we pass the principles of love to our children today?

LESSON IN OUR SOCIETY

In a global world, our neighbors are limitless. How can we bring love to our neighborhoods and our cities? As the Apostolic Pentecostal church, what responsibility do we have to carry out the commands of Leviticus and Deuteronomy? How can we bring the love of Jesus to a dying world?

MAKE IT HAPPEN

1. Every day we have the opportunity to love God as our highest priority, and to love our neighbor wholeheartedly. Loving our neighbor as ourselves is a sign that God is working in us. Examine your innermost emotions and identify those people you have not loved as you should. Regardless of what hinders your love for them, make the first step-a call, a letter, a text, a tweet. Do whatever it takes to move toward loving as you should. 

2. In order to love God with all of our being. we must commit to setting aside time daily for prayer and meditation on His Word. Commit to memorizing Scriptures. Make it a habit think of Him throughout the day. Give practical attention to loving your neighbor as yourself. Ask God to help you learn to speak encouragement to others. Make a plan now to live our the Word daily. 

(Except from the Apostolic Light Pentecostal Assemblies of the World Inc.)