TOPIC:“Love on Three Levels”
by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap
TEXT:Mark 12:30, 31
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God…Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (vv. 30, 31)
Some time ago I came upon a statement by Henry Ward Beecher, distinguished preacher of the 19th century, which read: “There is but one thing required of man, and that is, that he shall have love.” And let me say, whether you realize it or not, this life of love has three levels to it. It may seem strange but Christians are required to have three loves - to God, to others, and then to themselves.
In view of this truth, let us investigate the surrounding verses around our text to find out what Jesus meant by these words. We find the Master, after having publicly silenced the Jewish leaders, being asked certain questions by these Jews in the hope of incriminating Him before the crowd, thus charging Him with a crime. Three questions were thrown at Him. The third is the one which we can't afford to miss as this point.
A scribe, who no doubt was a master of the law, asked a very sincere and honest theological question which had been much debated. He desired to know “Which was the greatest of the commandments?” What was it that made a commandment great? It seems that among the Jews at this time there was considerable debate as to what commandments were of major importance and what commandments were of minor importance. Some were considered as great, while others were thought of as small.
The answer that Christ gave can be found in verse 30: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.” Then also in verse 31: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Here Christ decisively answers the question. His words cannot be plainer. He declares that love is to be the motivating duty of man. It is to be the chief element in one's life. It is the end to which life was designed - to be perfected in love. “Ah,” says Christ, “the ideal Christian is one who walks in the way of love in union with the Holy Spirit within the life.”
Let us try to get somewhere now in the life of love by honestly facing up to our present situation.
I.
We have, to begin with, the SUPREME love which we owe to God. The words of Christ are breathtaking when He declares: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God…this is the first commandment” (vs. 30). This means first in importance. Here we use the word “supreme” to describe that our love for . . .