Musing – The Second of the Greatest Commandments. (2 of 2)

Hebraic Musing – The Second of the Greatest Commandments.  (2 of 2)

(This and the last Musings are from Kurt Johnson’s “Greek Insight” of May 7, 2020)*

The Setting:   One of the scribes (lawyers) came, and asked Him (Jesus) “which is the first commandment of all?” Jesus answered him “The most important one,” Mark 12:28-30  KJV   Jesus answered – the Shema  --- “Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One,” which is the most popular and most recited daily prayer for the Jews.

We mused about that first and most important commandment last week.  But Jesus’ answer continued “And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:31 KJV

Jesus stressed  “And the second is like” — “unto it” as demanding the same affection, and only the extension of it, in its proper measure, to the creatures of Him whom we thus love—our brethren in the participation of the same nature, and neighbors, as connected with us by ties that render each dependent upon and necessary to the other.

“Thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself…” Now, since we are not to love ourselves supremely, this is a command not to love our neighbor with all our heart and soul and mind and strength.  Thus it condemns the idolatry of the creature.  Our supreme and uttermost affection is to be reserved for God.  But as sincerely as ourselves we are to love all mankind with the same readiness as we should desire them to show to us.

“There is none other commandment greater than these.”  It is as if He had said, “This is all Scripture in a nutshell; the whole law of human duty in a portable, pocket form.”  It is inconceivable that God should require from his rational creatures anything less, or in substance anything else. He can claim all this alike in heaven, in earth, and in hell!  As this incomparable summary of the divine law shines in its own self-evidencing splendor, so it reveals its own true source.  

The religion from which the world has received it could be none other than a God-given religion!

Thank you for your insight Kurt! (See Note below)

Points to ponder   or   RSVP

So…How are we to love our neighbor(s)?

How much do you love and care about yourself?

Who are our neighbors?

♫ What the world needs now is love, sweet love; It's the only thing that there's just too little of ♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      May 19, 2020

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”   

* Please let me know if you would like to receive Kurt Johnson’s weekly “Greek Insights”?

Note: This “Insight” is taken from Kurt Johnson’s “Greek Insight” of May 7, 2020. 
He acknowledges it as an abridged version of the same article from Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 85). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc. This article uses the KJV.

(This and the last Musings are from Kurt Johnson’s “Greek Insight” of May 7, 2020)*

The Setting:   One of the scribes (lawyers) came, and asked Him (Jesus) “which is the first commandment of all?” Jesus answered him “The most important one,” Mark 12:28-30  KJV   Jesus answered – the Shema  --- “Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One,” which is the most popular and most recited daily prayer for the Jews.

We mused about that first and most important commandment last week.  But Jesus’ answer continued “And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:31 KJV

Jesus stressed  “And the second is like” — “unto it” as demanding the same affection, and only the extension of it, in its proper measure, to the creatures of Him whom we thus love—our brethren in the participation of the same nature, and neighbors, as connected with us by ties that render each dependent upon and necessary to the other.

“Thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself…” Now, since we are not to love ourselves supremely, this is a command not to love our neighbor with all our heart and soul and mind and strength.  Thus it condemns the idolatry of the creature.  Our supreme and uttermost affection is to be reserved for God.  But as sincerely as ourselves we are to love all mankind with the same readiness as we should desire them to show to us.

“There is none other commandment greater than these.”  It is as if He had said, “This is all Scripture in a nutshell; the whole law of human duty in a portable, pocket form.”  It is inconceivable that God should require from his rational creatures anything less, or in substance anything else. He can claim all this alike in heaven, in earth, and in hell!  As this incomparable summary of the divine law shines in its own self-evidencing splendor, so it reveals its own true source.  

The religion from which the world has received it could be none other than a God-given religion!

Thank you for your insight Kurt! (See Note below)

Points to ponder   or   RSVP

So…How are we to love our neighbor(s)?

How much do you love and care about yourself?

Who are our neighbors?

♫ What the world needs now is love, sweet love; It's the only thing that there's just too little of ♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      May 19, 2020

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”   

* Please let me know if you would like to receive Kurt Johnson’s weekly “Greek Insights”?

Note: This “Insight” is taken from Kurt Johnson’s “Greek Insight” of May 7, 2020. 
He acknowledges it as an abridged version of the same article from Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 85). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc. This article uses the KJV.