The Second Greatest Commandment
Learning and Growing in the Second Greatest Commandment • Sermon • Submitted
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Transcript
Intro
Intro
Text - Mark 12.28-31
Text - Mark 12.28-31
28 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?”
29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
30 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.
31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Introduction
Introduction
A new series for Wednesday Bible studies
Series:
Objective
help us learn and grow in our relationships
Background
the scribes asked him about the “first” commandment
Jesus answered the question, and also provided the second greatest commandment
O.T. references quoted
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
Key Points
Key Points
The greatness of this commandment
The greatness of this commandment
Jesus said no other commandment is greater than this.
all the Law and the prophets “hang on these
39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
hang - to depend upon; to rely for support
the 10 commandments
1-4 - for God
5-10 - for neighbor
love is the fulfillment of the law
8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
summed up - put together in simple form
all laws concerning other people demands that we “do no harm” to them
it is a “royal law”
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;
royal - belonging to or befitting a supreme ruler
Who is your neighbor
Who is your neighbor
3 different applications of the word “neighbor”
a person, family, city or nation living or existing in close proximity with another
a person or family who belong to the same covenant
the commandments of God were given only to Israel
a stranger is not considered a neighbor, until he/she participates in Israel’s faith and practices
33 ‘And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him.
34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
48 And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it.
in the N.T., a fellow member in the body of Christ, a fellow believer
25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.
11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.
Putting the law into practice
Putting the law into practice
“As yourself”
it means, as if you are doing it to yourself
12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
ask yourself - how do you want to be treated by other people?
why “love self first” is wrong
it teaches us to become selfish, self-centered
it disconnects us from people
Jesus set the example
He came to serve - so that we will come to know that we should be serving Christ!
He washed the disciples’ feet
Be the neighbor
Jesus gives the parable of the good samaritan
29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
this follows a previous conversation with Jesus
25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.
34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’
36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
certain man - most likely a Jew, as he was coming from Jerusalem
Samaritan - not considered neighbor by Jews
And what does a neighbor do?
Speak truth to people
25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.
Serve people
13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Delight other people
1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.
3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”
Owe love to people
8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.
8 Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.
Conclusion
Conclusion
What does it mean to “love one another as yourself”?
it means to demonstrate the love of God to others by being the neighbor.
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