The Greatest
What does one need to do to become great?
One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall 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, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question. - Mark 12:28-34
Greatness is not something we can achieve, or even strive for. It is instead the relationship we have with God and one another.
The greatest thing we can do is to love God fully, and through that love for God, we treat one another as God would treat us and we would choose to be treated.
Greatness is more a way of living than a state of being.
If we could do just one thing to be closest to God, what would it be?
Jesus explains that putting God first in our lives is the way to be closest to God in everything we do. It is through our love of God that we show love to one another.
Another way of looking at it is this. If we fail to show love for one another, how can we truly say we love God?
Of course, we are left with the question that leads us to the parable of the Good Samaritan, who is my neighbor?
Jesus makes it hard for us when he says even our enemy is deserving of love, because God loves all his children.
With all that is going on in the world today, we are challenged to find a way to love everyone.
So, I guess we should not seek greatness for ourselves, but instead look to do the greatest of all commandments as best we can.
More to come...