The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 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 oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. Mark 12:31-34

In the final week of Jesus' life before the cross, Jesus has just shared with an inquiring scribe that the greatest commandment is to love God. But there’s also a second half of Jesus' answer. He teaches a second greatest commandment.

This might come as a shock to you, but Jesus quoted Leviticus here (Leviticus 19:18). So much for the Old Testament being a harsh and vindictive book. The truth is that the morality found from Genesis to Malachi is refreshing and good and God-centered.

Jesus used the Leviticus passage to help us see where a love for God will lead -- to the love of neighbor.

There is a myth we often believe: that we can love God but dislike people. Nope. The love of God will lead to a love for people made in God's image. And loving others is a way for us to love God. He loves it. And we must extend ourselves to others.

As John said:

“And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1 John 4:21, ESV)

You cannot love the invisible God without loving visible people. A person who refuses to love others clearly hasn't interacted with God.

As John Stott said:

A Christianity which would use the vertical preoccupation as a means to escape from its responsibility for and in the common life of man is a denial of the incarnation, of God's love for the world manifested in Christ. -- John Stott, Christian Mission in the Modern World, loc. 220. Kindle Edition

Who Is My Neighbor?

A natural question would be, "who is my neighbor?" I will answer this in two ways.

Do you recall Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan? He found a beaten and bullied man bleeding on the roadway. Others had passed by the man, but the Samaritan cared for his needs. Jesus said the Samaritan treated the man as his neighbor (Luke 10:25-37).

This story helps us see that our neighbor is further than we think. The Samaritan had his own community and people, but he extended himself beyond his group to care for an obvious need.

But the story also helps us see that our neighbor is closer than we think. The Samaritan found a man in his path and helped him. He didn't have to go out of his way, but on his way, an opportunity arose.

So we must love those far off. The gospel commands it. The promise is for us and our children and all who are far off (Acts 2:39).

But we must also love those in our path. It is easy to say we love the whole world, but if we start thinking about the first 100 people we know, do we love them? It gets a little harder the closer to home we get.

Love God More Than People

Before we move on, I must point out the mistake of getting Jesus' commands backward. Some think the first commandment is loving people, but this can lead to tragic consequences.

For instance, without a love for God, we'll lack the mental and emotional fortitude required to confront the world with the gospel. Without a love for God, we will begin approving things which harm people made in God's image. Without a love for God, we won't speak God's truth.

Jesus isn't telling us to approve of everything, confront nothing, and preach to no one. He isn't telling us to figure out self-love, then love others, before finally loving God. He's telling us we must love God before anyone, including ourselves. And he knows that love will produce the healthiest kind of love for others.

Again, this is where our society often gets it wrong. Many are trying to love humanity without a love for God. We are made in God's image, after all, so we should expect a level of care for others to arise from humanity. But it always runs askew. It doesn't know how to love in helpful ways. And it often harms people because it doesn't know how to love in the light of God and his word.

Love God by Loving People

But let's be a people that loves God by loving people. With a respect and fear of God in our hearts, let's reach out to our community. Foster kids need homes. Teams need coaches. Young believers need mentors. Lonely people need living rooms. Schools need helpers. Offices need people willing to sacrifice. Churches need servant volunteers. And people need the love of other people.

Let's ask God for the wisdom to love as he would have us love.

Jesus heard the scribe's response and told him he wasn't far from the kingdom of God (34). Judaism was fading, and soon the sacrificial system would be abolished because of Christ's cross. And the eventual destruction of Jerusalem and her temple would confirm this. This man seems to have seen that to a degree, so he was close to the kingdom of God.

Gospel Process:

In the kingdom of God, love is supreme. Here's how it works.

God loves us. We see this clearly in the gospel. We repent of our sin and receive his gift of grace.

Then we respond to his love by loving him in return. We worship, pray, study the Scripture, and go to church gatherings all as a way to love God.

Then his love stirs us to love the people around us. Led by the Spirit, we do the sacrificial things God asks of us in an attempt to love others.

Then, waiting for us is the love of God. As we drink of its endless supply, we become motivated to love God and others. On and on, his love fuels us for the good life. So, remember, the most important thing in life is to love God.