The following comes from my book, MORE
Amazing Stories & Daily Devotionals
A Pharisee asked Jesus, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” (Matt. 22:36). The Pharisees counted 613 commandments in the Law. They also added another 1,500 man-made laws for the Jewish people keep. Out of all those commandments, it was only natural to wonder which was the most important.
Some Jews believed the greatest was the 3rd commandment, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Ex. 20:7). That’s why they wouldn’t even mention His name. Others thought the greatest was the 4th commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” (Ex. 20:8). That’s why the Pharisees created 39 categories of work that were prohibited on the Sabbath, and they always accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath.
One rabbi even taught the man-made laws of the Pharisees were more important than God’s commandments in the Scriptures. They believed that eating with unwashed hands was as great of a crime as murder, and that rubbing ears of corn together on the Sabbath day was the same sin as committing adultery.
These differences in opinions created a lot of confusion about which law was the greatest of all the commandments. You’d think Jesus would have answered him by quoting the 1st commandment, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Ex. 20:3). He didn’t. Instead, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37).
So what is most important to God? He wants you to love Him with all your heart; that’s passion. All your soul; that’s commitment. All your mind; that’s what you think about.
It’s impossible to love God until you first believe He loves you, and you’ve received His love into your heart. “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19 NKJV). Live to please God. It’s that simple.
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