This week is a bit of an in-between week as we study Mark–we look a little back to chapter 11, which we studied last week, to understand Palm Sunday, the triumphant entry of Jesus, and a little forward to a moment in chapter 12.
Last week we talked about being oblivious–and the people at that moment were. They were oblivious. They saw Jesus as fulfilling Old Testament prophecy, coming as the Messiah–coming to save them from outside powers, lifting them up to be in power. He came in on a donkey, and they threw their palm leaves to the ground and shouted praises as He came through, but as we see in the next few chapters, they quickly changed their minds. They didn’t fully get it.
But the beauty of this moment, as we have seen over and over again in the book of Mark, is that even though they didn’t get it, Jesus still loved them. They didn’t get it, but Jesus still empowered them, still pursued them, still pushed forward.
It seems like such a strange thing to celebrate–Palm Sunday, this moment when the people worshiped Jesus but they really didn’t understand and quickly changed their minds. But it’s a beautiful thing to celebrate that they didn’t have to fully get it for Jesus to still build a relationship with them.
Today, we’re looking ahead, into a moment in chapter 12, where Jesus talked about the greatest commandment–loving God more than anything, and loving your neighbor.
To get started, we’re going to look into our past; we’re going to look back and talk about our own first loves. We are building this conversation to have a deeper understanding of love. We are building up to conversations about loving God and loving people, and we get to do some “love deconstruction.”
Why do people do strange things to gain the attention of a crush?
What embarrassing things did you do in order to gain the attention of a “first love”?
Now grab a piece of paper. As a table I want you to build an ingredients list. Not for chocolate chip cookies or chicken parmesan or quiche, but rather an ingredients list for LOVE. Come up with as complete of an ingredients list for LOVE that you can.
Write an ingredients of love list.
Now it’s time for another step with this list, another step in our “love deconstruction.” Let’s break down some ingredients. You know that chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips are not chocolate chip cookies. Chicken parmesan without the chicken is not chicken parmesan. And quiche without the eggs is sad–and also not quiche. Now of course there are substitutes, but there is a huge difference between having an appropriate substitute and forgetting or omitting an ingredient.
So take a look at your love ingredients list and talk about this:
What ingredients, when eliminated, move love away from being love?
What are appropriate and inappropriate substitute ingredients?
Jesus spent YEARS of time with His disciples, and they, in the last chapters of Mark, prove that they don’t really get who Jesus is. Jesus spent YEARS of ministry to the masses, and they, in the last chapters of Mark, prove they don’t really get who Jesus is. Jesus had YEARS of interactions with the religious authorities, and they, in the last chapters of Mark, prove that they don’t really get who Jesus is. And the beauty in this is that it was not over for them.
They were in process. We are in process. Biblical narrative is the repeated story of God’s love and trust of people who are in the midst of process. Grace. God working in and through less-than-ideal people. Grace. God being willing and even excited to empower and trust people that are still in process!
So now the crescendo is building. Jesus is about to be arrested and persecuted. Jesus is about to be killed, leading to his rising from the dead. This thing that Isaiah talked about centuries before was about to take place:
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
It is building! And in Mark 12, Jesus is approached. His wisdom is recognized. And then he is questioned–to be put to the test, to get an answer, to hear what He would say, but also to trick Him or trip Him up.
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 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: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions. (Mark 12:28-34)
What is Jesus going to say? What will He omit? What will He include? What does Jesus do? He brings the words from Deuteronomy to the table:
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
He also brings the calling of Leviticus to the table:
“‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:18)
Now let’s start bringing things together. We get it–we need to love God and love people. But although “getting it” is nice, it may not equal anything.
Use your ingredients list and your elimination and substitution list to the table and really dig into the complexity of loving God and loving people:
Bringing your ingredients list to love and evaluation of appropriate and inappropriate omissions and substitutions to the conversation: What does it mean for you to love God and to love people?
As we've journeyed together through these conversations, we've explored our own experiences of love, the ingredients that make up love, and how important it is to keep those essential elements intact. We've reflected on the beauty of Jesus' love for us, even when we don't fully understand or "get it." And we've discussed the greatest commandment–loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves.
I want to share a story from Luke 7 about a Roman centurion, an outsider who showed incredible love, generosity, empathy, and compassion towards his servants and the people around him. This centurion, though not a Jew, was able to recognize where God was working and had great faith in Jesus' ability to heal his servant.
We learn from this story that getting it all or being perfect doesn't have to happen before we can love God and love people. We don't have to be insiders to live out the greatest commandment. The centurion's example shows us that we can practice love and faith even in our imperfection, and that our efforts to love God and love people can have a powerful impact on the world around us.
In the last two years, I've had a constant conviction that has shaped my understanding of my purpose as a follower of Christ and a pastor. This conviction is to be aware of where God is working. What if proximity to Christ and depth of relationship with God wasn't measured by self-righteousness and the elevation of our egos, the hours we read the Bible, or the size of our churches, but instead was measured in our ability to see God at work?
I believe God is at work–in me, in you, in my neighborhood, in Minneapolis, and in the lives of the people I see at the coffee shop every day. God is even at work in the lives of those often cast aside, those who are imperfect, struggling, in pain, and lost.
In the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus tells us about a shepherd who has 100 sheep, but one of them goes astray. Instead of staying with the 99 sheep who are safely in the fold, the shepherd goes out to search for the one lost sheep. When he finds it, he rejoices and carries it back to the flock on his shoulders.
GOD IS STILL AT WORK. In the world, in the lives of real people, ahead of us.
As we wrap up, let's challenge ourselves to go beyond merely understanding the concept of loving God and loving others. Instead, let's commit to actively practicing it in our daily lives.
In the spirit of Palm Sunday, let's celebrate the fact that Jesus continues to pursue. That God is still at work. In me, in us, and in the people that surround us every day. Let’s have hope for God’s work, because that’s what Palm Sunday and Easter are all about.
PRAYER:
Thank you for gathering us together today as we've explored Your incredible love for us and the love we are called to share with others. We are grateful for Your presence in our lives and the ways You work through each of us, even in our imperfection and struggle.
Lord, open our eyes to see You at work in our own lives and in the lives of those around us. Help us to recognize the opportunities You place before us to show love, compassion, and kindness to our neighbors. Give us the courage to reach out, to listen, and to walk alongside one another, knowing that you are with us every step of the way.
As we continue to reflect on today's message and the stories we've shared, fill our hearts with Your love and Your hope. May we be inspired to live out the greatest commandment, to love You with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Where do you see loving God and loving people happening in your world? Happening in you? Happening in your local?
Take It Deeper Questions
- Read Mark 12:28-34.
- What subject is guaranteed to spark a debate in your house? Why? Take a deep breath and don’t have that debate right now.
- What are some visible signs that loving God is happening?
- What are some visible signs that loving people is happening?
- How are you challenged, encouraged, focused, and/or confused by this text?
Bible Reading Plan:
- Mark 12
- Matthew 22
- Luke 10
- John 14