Mark Sorensen Funny how things fall into place. Over the past couple of weeks in the “Perfect Storm” series, I have mentioned two different religious experts in the Law that spoke to Jesus. I wish I could tell you that this was my intent, it’s just where God took me. However, as I look back, there’s a pretty great contrast between the two. As we have seen, both experts were on opposite sides of the spectrum in their understanding of the Law.
In the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), as the expert in the law stood to test Jesus and justify himself in the process, Jesus chose to bring to light instead the contempt this expert in the law (and many of the Jewish people, for that matter) had towards the Samaritan people (hence, it was the Samaritan who was the hero of the story, not an ordinary average Jew as one would have expected Jesus to have done with the parable told to a primarily Jewish culture). The tragedy here was that the religious expert in the law had the head knowledge of the law, but clearly lacked the application. He knew the law but he missed one of the most important pieces of this knowledge, letting it move from the head to the heart.
This past Sunday, I referenced a different expert in the law who asked Jesus a simple but profound question. Of all the Laws, which was the greatest? Now, you have to understand that, though this seemed to be a simple question, it was much more loaded than you might have imagined. There were over SIX HUNDRED different laws that the people had to follow, beyond the big Ten that God gave in Exodus. And, among all of those, Jesus, reminding him of the Shema prayer (see Deuteronomy 6:4), boiled it down to two: “Loving God” and “Loving Neighbor”. Upon hearing this, I love the expert’s response. “Wonderful answer, Teacher! So lucid and accurate- that God is one and there is no other. And loving him with all passion and intelligence and energy, and loving others as well as you love yourself. Why, that’s better than all offerings and sacrifices put together!” (Mark 12:32-33 MSG) Jesus’ response to this man’s understanding of the Greats? “You are right on the border of God’s Kingdom.”
Calling can be a tricky thing, can’t it? We bombard ourselves with questions that cause us to second guess choices, paths and direction. “What if I make the wrong choice?” “What if this isn’t God’s will for my life?” “Do I go to this college, or that one?” And the list could go on. But, what I love about Jesus is this: in the midst of all the debating found in Mark 12, this simple question asked by this particular expert in the law boiled down to one thing: what’s most important in this life. And Jesus’ response? Two things: love God and love people.
Here’s the good news. When you live out these two things in your life you are living into God’s calling. I truly believe there are rarely wrong choices when you live out of the place in your life that you are loving God and loving those around you. Let your passion for these two truths become so infused into your heart that Jesus becomes your identity and a part of your DNA. Make this your center. Make it who you are and what you are about. Then? Let God guide.
This second expert in the law got it. In fact, when he recognized Jesus’ answer as the truth and the way to live, he replied that living this way was better than any burnt offering or sacrifice that could be given. Jesus’ response? You are right on the border of God’s Kingdom.
There’s a lot of darkness in this world. But the truth? When we choose to take the “Greats” and make them a way of living, we are bringing people right to the border of the Kingdom of God. Not sure about you but I can’t think of a better place for people to visit today.
