Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

 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.”  Mark 12:28-31. 

The issue to be considered is whether these are two commandments or one commandment.

It is noteworthy that Jesus does not stop his description of the foremost commandment after verse 30 with “just” “LOVE THE LORD”, but He continues his description of the foremost commandment through verse 31 by including “LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR”. 

It is also noteworthy that Jesus uses the singular verb “is” rather than the plural verb “are”.

It is also noteworthy that Jesus uses the singular word “commandment” rather than the plural word “commandments”.

But, what about Jesus’ use of the word “second”?

I think that Jesus is using the word “second” as in the sense of a “second” part of the foremost commandment and not in the sense of a “second” separate commandment.  When Jesus uses the word “these”, I think Jesus is using the word “these” as in the sense of “these” parts and not in the sense of these commandments.

So, what is the importance of whether these are two commandments or one commandment?

We could use the interpretation that these are two commandments as a justification of our behavior of not loving our neighbor as much as we should.  We could think and act as if these commandments are completely separate from each other and even in competition with each other.  We could justify our actions of not loving our neighbor, because such loving neighbor actions would subordinate or at least interfere with our foremost duty to love God. 

How often that happens in practice!  We can be cold to others but think we are pious toward God.  We can give to God but ignore our duties toward our parents.  See Mark 7:10-13.  We can pray and give our best wishes to others but fail to give our neighbor food and clothing.  James 2:15-16.

Faith without works is dead. 

James rightly concludes:  “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works?  Can that faith save him?”  James 2:14.  John likewise comes to the same conclusion:  “But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?”  1 John 3:17.

^“For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”  Galatians 5:14.  (Emphasis added.)  

1 John 2:5-10 states:  “but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected.  By this we know that we are in Him:  the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.  Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.  On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.  The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.  The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.”

James 1:27
“Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

In conclusion, certainly, this devotion does not include all of our specific duties to love God and our neighbor as ourself.  I specifically do not want to ignore or minimize our duty to worship God as we should.  However, even in our worship, we must remember Jesus’ words.  “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go;  first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.”  Matthew 5:23-24.  Hopefully, these Scriptures will convince us that part of our duty to love God is to also love our neighbor.  Through God’s grace and the Holy Spirit producing the fruit of the Spirit, which includes love, we can love God and our neighbor as we should.