S - Mark 12 : 28-34 (NASB)
28 One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the [q]foremost of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; 30 and 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.” 32 The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that He is One, and there is no one else besides Him; 33 and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.
O - A scribe who was listening to the Sadducees argue with Jesus, found Jesus' answers to be correct and recognize He was a good and faithful teacher of God's word in which He was an expert as a scribe. This led him to ask Jesus a question not as a trap but as a genuine question to see if Jesus was a true son of God. He asked Jesus what was the most important commandment and when He answered to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and the second to love your neighbor as yourself. He recognized how true Jesus was.
A - The application for me is to recognize how good and true Jesus is. I am to follow this greatest commandment to love God with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. I know I fall short of this all the time as exampled in my sin. But Jesus has resolved my sin with His good and pleasing sacrifice, so that I might repent and be restored in a loving and worshiping relationship with God the Father. Oh not that I continuing sinning but that I would be made new and sin no more.
P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's reminder to follow your greatest commandment to love you with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. If I am focused on this alone I will avoid sin. Sin against you and sin against those I am called to love. Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice for my sins, that I may be reconciled with the Father and follow Him in His Kingdom business. I pray all this in Jesus' name, Amen.
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