The Power of Purposeful Love

Intro

Good morning…Today we going to consider a very important question (Mk 12:28-34)

We don’t always think about the power of questions but they are fundamental to our lives

There was a time when I had all the answers. My real growth began when I discovered that the questions to which I had the answers were not the important questions.

Reinhold Niebuhr

Asking the right questions is important

Answer the big question of eternity, and the little questions of life fall into perspective.

Max Lucado

In a world that is deeply engrossed in solving and understanding everything, the significance of asking questions still holds immense importance

Asking and answering the right questions can impact eternity for us

They are paths to learning and growing

When you ask a BIG question about an important topic you step into a corridor of learning

As you walk along this corridor, there might be many doors

And you might have to open a few of them before you find the exit

Sometimes the exit might not be where you think it is

But along the way you learn and grow

So…here’s a question for you

When you reflect on your life, encompassing every dimension and facet, what rises as the single most crucial element?

What defines your existence

Shapes your priorities?

What’s that one thing that has the deepest impact on your overall well-being and fulfillment?

We’re going to be looking at Mark 12:28-34

In this passage, Jesus is asked a BIG question

Someone asks him: What’s the greatest commandment

Jesus — God in the flesh — is being asked:

Of all the things in life what is the most important thing?

That’s a BIG question about about important topic being asked to the supreme being of the universe!

We should lean in and listen

Jesus answers the question by saying that the most important thing in life is for us to fully and completely love God

And we should be devoted to our neighbor, loving them as much as we love ourselves

And that this loving devotion is at the heart of God’s kingdom

His answer reveals that

Loving God Leads to Loving others, Leads to Kingdom Living

Loving God Leads to Loving others, Leads to Kingdom Living

Only when I truly I love God...

Can I THEN love others...

And live abundantly in God’s kingdom

it’s all connected

Love for God

Love for other people

Living in God’s kingdom

But something surprising emerges from this

It’s tempting to want to jump right in and try to understand what it means to fully love God and others

However as we look into this passage, something emerges that we must consider

We’ll discover that...

Before we can fully love God we must first listen to God

It’s listening with a specific purpose — the Hebrews have a word for this as we’ll see in Mark 12:28-34

Let’s see how this unfolds in Mark 12:28-34

Mark 12:28–34 NKJV

Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” But after that no one dared question Him.

Devotion for God (Mark 12:28-30)

Context of the Encounter

This encounter occurred during the final week before Jesus' crucifixion

He had several confrontations with religious leaders as they tried to trap him with trick questions and even tried to get him to denounce Caesar to have him arrested

After an encounter with the Sadducees, a scribe who had been observing was impressed by Jesus' answer and approached Him with a question:

The Commandments in Jewish Tradition

"Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

The Jewish tradition consisted of 613 commandments, compiled from the Old Testament, and further divided and categorized

These commandments were classified as "heavy" or "light" based on their perceived level of importance

Also, they were grouped into categories pertaining to loving God and loving one's neighbor

Jesus' Unprecedented Response

When Jesus answers, he does something unprecedented

He didn’t just pick the most important from the 613 commandments

He took the major categories from the divisions and combined them — Loving God and loving others

The Jews had meticulously categorized and distinguished the commandments and Jesus explicitly connects them

Jesus wasn't just simplifying the law; He was transforming our understanding of what it means to live a God-centered life

Jesus’ Quotation from Deuteronomy

In his answer, Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Mark 12:28–30 (NKJV)

The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

The Concept of Full Dedication

Jesus says loving God is done with:

ALL our heart

ALL our soul

ALL our mind

ALL our strength

Have you ever fully dedicated yourself to something?

Maybe a project that you felt passionate about and put your “ALL” into

Something that is demanding but important enough to pursue

Something that’s not merely a task but a reflection of your inner desires and aspirations…Like...

Parenting

Learning a new trade or skill

Mentoring/training someone

Relationships - close friendships, family relationships, & marriage

Jesus calls each of us to a profound act of surrender – to fully commit ourselves to cultivating a deep and intimate relationship with our Creator

This is a challenging call to each of us..but the bottom line is that it’s a call worthy of our efforts because...

Loving God is not merely a slice of life, but the source of life

The Challenge of Loving God Fully

As believers , we all aspire to loving God fully, but...

We may often find it challenging to live up to this lofty commandment

Possibly there’s a crucial piece missing for us

The Importance of 'Hear' or 'Shema'

Jesus points out what’s missing for us is in Mark 12:29 — ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one’

What is it…what’s missing?

If you’re actively wondering what the missing piece is…you’re considering the verse wondering what it is

Then I think you’re on the right path…because you’re already starting to do it

It’s the very first word of this passage

The word 'Hear’ is our key to unlocking this profound truth on fully and completely loving God

In Hebrew, this word is 'Shema,' a term that transcends mere auditory perception

In Jewish tradition, this passage in Deut 6:4-5 is known as 'The Shema’ and holds a special place for the Israelites

They would recite this daily as a way to remind themselves to be fully devoted to God — to love God with their “ALL”

The call of 'Shema' is not merely a calling to hear with our ears but to listen with:

Intent

Understanding

Acceptance

Obedience

Loving God with our “ALL” means first listening properly

Our listening finds its purpose in understanding, in grasping the heart of what God communicates to us

You come to church not merely to hear words, but to gain an understanding

“Shema” means to “Listen with a mind for understanding and a heart for obedience”

Echoing this sentiment of intentional listening, Jesus often urged, 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear!' - a call for more than just auditory attention

It means something is coming that you really need to understand

This is the idea behind the Hebrew word “Shema”

Pay close attention to what you’re going to hear

Attentive listening is essential for loving God because our beliefs flow from understanding His word and teachings, which require a receptive and open heart

The Essence of Attentive Listening

By actively listening, we absorb the wisdom and guidance offered in the scriptures and through prayer, allowing us to align our thoughts and actions with God

This deepened understanding fosters a stronger, more intimate relationship with God, as we not only hear but internalize His will and purpose for our lives

The Contemporary Challenge

Now, in our contemporary context, a BIG question arises for us: Will we lean in and actively listen, embracing what we hear?

Jesus is telling us that the foremost thing that we are to do in life is to love God.

He quotes from Deuteronomy and we are blessed to receive these words in our lives

God doesn’t give his Law & instructions to just anyone — He gives it to the people he has redeemed

For instance, just before the giving of the Ten Commandments, Moses reminds the Israelites of their redeemed status

Deuteronomy 5:6 NKJV

‘I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

God's Law to the Redeemed

God reminds the Israelites that they are a redeemed people, no longer slaves and subject to the ways of slavery

They are a special people — now ready to receive God’s instructions on how to live

Likewise we see the same kind of special address in Deut 6:4

Moses acknowledges the unique place of the Jews when he calls them by name — “Hear, O Israel”

That name Israel — means something distinctive

It means "One who strives with God and prevails”

It originates from the story of Jacob wrestling with God in Gen 32:28

So God changed his name to Israel to signify this transformation

The name Jacob means cheater and he lived up to his name

Deceiving his father Isaac to steal his brother Esau’s birthright and blessings

Now he has a new name — Israel — that means prevailer

This is a radical change of identity

Consider Jacob's journey - a transformation from a life of deception to becoming a 'prevailer' with God

And likewise we as Christians are transformed and even more than prevailers now in Christ

Look at how the apostle Paul says it Romans

Romans 8:37 NKJV

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Paul is saying that nothing can separate us from God’s love

Not trouble

Or persecution

Not danger

Not hunger

Or even threats of death

Not our fears for today

Nor our worries about tomorrow

Paul says that when we experience “these things”, it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love us

In fact, Paul is emphatic in verse 39, He says NOTHING in all of creation can separate us from God’s love that is revealed in Jesus

More Than Conquerors in Christ

In Christ, we are more than conquerors, because being redeemed isn’t only about conquering our problems

It’s about Christ bringing us back into a right relationship with God

This is where the Israelites struggled in their wilderness wanderings

They were the redeemed people of God but they lost sight of their new identity

In the face of their problems and struggles they started to doubt God’s faithfulness

Despite being miraculously delivered from slavery in Egypt, there were moments when the Israelites desired to go back to their former lives

They longed for the comfort and security they had known, even though it meant disregarding God's promises and forgetting their true identity as His chosen ones

Numbers 14:3 NKJV

Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?”

Do you ever feel that way…God calls you to something and then circumstances don’t go as you expect, and you wonder, “Why has God brought me here to then allowed this to happen?”

That is why Paul's reminder in Romans 8:37 is so important

He assures us that victory is made possible because Christ's love reigns over us

We desperately need to “hear” what Paul is saying

Our identity is transformed from rebellion against God to redeemed people of God

We should be living radically differently lives because...

Once our identity is transformed in Christ then God reveals our true purpose

So, when I say we need to live radically different lives because of our transformation, I’m not saying that we should just try harder

Our striving is not only about effort; it's about an intentional listening that kindles a deep desire to love God with our entire being

When we told by Jesus what the greatest thing in all of life is we should remember what we said earlier, that God doesn’t give his laws and instructions to just anyone — only to his redeemed people

People who have been transformed

And once we’re transformed — we have a real desire to lean in and listen to what God has for us

Shema - Hear, O Israel

Like Jacob the cheater who was transformed into Israel the prevailer…we too have been transformed

When Paul tells us nothing in creation can separate us from God’s love, he’s telling us that:

We are cherished by God with a love beyond comprehension, unchanging regardless of our circumstances.

Do you believe this about your life?

Among the truths you hold about yourself, which one carries the greatest significance in shaping your life?

What truth rings the loudest in your life?

Maybe you see yourself as...

A compassionate person

Or intelligent

Perhaps you’re a born leader and that seems to really play a big role in your life

On the other hand do you have serious doubts about yourself?

See yourself as insecure

A big one in our society today is imposter syndrome

That we’re not good enough and people are going to discover our true nature

No matter what the world says about you or even what your own heart says — it is not what God says

I can be tough to believe what God says about us

That we’re more than conquerors

Look what else Paul tells us in Rom 8.16

That we are the very children of God

Romans 8:16 NKJV

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Thru Christ, we’re adopted by God and we can claim this status in our lives and believe it

Believing in Our Transformed Identity

This is how we avoid failure of the Israelites of falling back into fear and slavery and going back to our old selves — by believing that the Creator God of the universe is our Father

Do you believe this for yourself?

People in the world desperately want what we have…people want to be connected, accepted, and loved

My wife and I love to watch documentaries…they give us a window into the lives of other people that we could never otherwise get

We recently watched one about an organization that was promoting connection to your one true love in life

People paid tens of thousands of dollars to attend workshops, seminars, and private coaching sessions where they were told steps to take to connect with their true love in order to have, “everything they ever wanted in life”

In the end, it all turned out to be a complete lie, ruining the lives of many people

The leader of the organization would make proclamations over people…telling them things like who their true love is and even telling them what their gender is

People would undergo name and identity changes according to what this supposed leader proclaimed to be true about them

They believed what was being said about them

They would live out these new identities — ruining their lives

The Real Thing: The Transforming Love of Christ

They were being abused but were so desperate for the real thing that they would believe almost anything they were told

As believers, we have the real thing

We associate ourselves with many things in life, but primarily we are God’s children

What the world seeks, we have found in the transformative love of Christ

The transforming love of Christ offers something uniquely fulfilling

The transformation we experience in Christ is rooted in our faith

Our faith is not merely intellectual beliefs, but a deep, soul-anchoring trust in God's promises and His character

The Shema doesn't simply call us to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and might; it invites us into a deeper realization

It urges us to wholeheartedly believe what God declares about us – that we are His beloved, redeemed and restored through Christ

This belief is not just a passive acknowledgment but an active, living faith that shapes our identity and motivations

We are motivated by love…and we move towards love

Not motivated by fear, obligation, or mere duty

Instead, we are motivated by a genuine love that flows from an understanding of our valued place in God’s sight

The Call to Shema: Belief and Transformation

Transformation in Christ is first a call to belief — Shema

To take God at his word and believe who he says we are

This is the essence of faith and transformed living

Hearing God’s word with an obedient heart

Look at what Jesus says in John 5:24

John 5:24 NKJV

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

That trusting his message and believing in the Father is to have eternal life

Once we begin to really take God at his word and internalize our identity in Christ, we’ll then begin to love God completely

We’re so grateful for God’s grace and mercy, that when Jesus says, “Hear O Israel” — we say, ‘Yes Lord…we are listening with obedient hearts”

Loving God with Our Whole Being

Once we’re listening with tender hearts, we are then ready to take up the first and greatest commandment

To love God with a devotion that flows from our entire being and existence

All our heart

All our soul

All our mind

All our strength

Divine Purpose for Others (Mark 12:31)

This love, born of faith and belief in God's truth about us, becomes the foundation of our actions and interactions with others

We begin to love God more fully and to extend that love to others, embodying the very love of Christ in our daily lives

When I have learnt to love God better than my earthly dearest, I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now.

C. S. Lewis

Lewis says, that that when my love for God grows beyond even that for my most cherished on earth, my capacity to love those dearest to me here will deepen more than ever before

The love of God is the root; our love for neighbors, the fruit. One nurtures the other, for without the root, there can be no fruit

Dedication to Discipleship (Mark 12:32-34)

After Jesus answered — the scribe then affirmed what Jesus said, he replied:

Well said teacher, loving God completely — is worth more than all the sacrifices we could ever offer

Jesus sees this as a wise answer and says, “You are not far from the kingdom of God”

If you were talking to Jesus and he said to you that you weren’t far from God’s kingdom — what you you think?

What does Jesus mean by this reply?

It would be encouraging but also suggests there’s more to it

So, What should the scribe do now?

The idea of being “not far from the kingdom of God” implies that there’s a journey underway that is yet to be completed

He should lean in and listen intently — Shema

He should seek out what Jesus means

Shema is about moving acknowledgement to action

Not merely action that seeks to try harder in our outward practices but action that seeks to trust God

Though he’s still Jacob and not yet transformed to Israel, the invitation is there

Maybe you’re on the brink of God’s kingdom wondering what the next step is

You won’t be able to fully love love God until you truly understand what he says about you

First and foremost, you have to accept that listening intently to God puts us on a path to living for him

But we reject that path — desiring to live for ourselves

We were created to live in communion with God but in our sinful nature we choose rebel and to live as if we we were God

This rebellion, this turning away from God, is what the Bible calls sin

It’s not just the wrong things we do, and the thing we fail to do, but it’s our attitude of trying to make ourselves like God

It's in our sinful nature to seek control, to be the masters of our fate, yet in doing so, we stray further from the life God has planned for us

Sin separates us from God, creating a separation that we cannot bridge on our own

It leads us down a path of self-reliance, away from the truth and love that God offers

Our sin is more than just a list of wrongdoings; it's a fundamental misalignment with the will and character of our Creator

Despite or rejection of him, God, in His infinite grace and mercy, God offers us a way back to Him

Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven, and the way is opened for us to return to a right relationship with God

Jesus, who knew no sin, took upon Himself the weight of our transgressions and offered us redemption

When we lean in and truly understand this and accept the responsibility for the sin in our lives, taking God at his word, when we’re really listening, the next step for us is repentance

That’s an active decision of turning away from sin and embracing God

But it isn't our repentance that saves us

While repentance is crucial, it's important to understand that it's not our actions or efforts that bridge the gap sin has created between us and God

Our sin carries a weight, a debt that we are incapable of reconciling on our own

This debt requires a payment, a sacrifice far beyond our human capacity to offer

This is the astonishing truth of the gospel

God in his love and mercy has provided the payment for our sins through Jesus Christ

Jesus paid the debt we could never pay, and believing in Him is what brings us into a right relationship with God

It’s about trusting in His completed work

The invitation stands for anyone today:

To turn from your sin

And embrace Christ as your savior

This is more than a momentary decision but the first step in lifelong journey of SHEMA — Hearing God with an attitude of obedience

Just as loving God and others is at the heart of Jesus' teaching, so is the decision to turn to Him. It’s not just about understanding; it’s about transforming our lives through His love