Theme

The heart of true religion is wholehearted devotion to God.

Text

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 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.’ 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.

Discussion Questions

1. Think of a time when you were “close to the finish line” (metaphorically or literally). What would have happened if you decided to stop, then and there?
2. What prompted the scribe to approach Jesus, and what specific question did he ask (vv. 28–29)?
3. How does Jesus answer the scribe's question (vv. 29–31)? Where does He get the answer from? See Deut. 6:4–5; Lev. 19:18.
4. Why do you think Jesus combines two OT commands as the summary of God's law (vv. 29–31)? How are these two related? See 1 Jn. 4:7–12; 19–21.
5. How does the scribe respond? How does this reveal a deep understanding of the Bible and God’s commandments? See 1 Sam. 15:22; Hos. 6:6; Mic. 6:6-8.
6. What is the Kingdom of God? Why is it possible to be “not far” from the kingdom (v. 34), yet still be outside it? What examples of this danger do we see in Scripture or in the church today?
7. What would it look like to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength in everyday life? Which aspect do you find most challenging?

Transcript

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