Our bible reading is taken from Mark 12: 28-31. “One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the greatest?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second greatest commandment is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
So in summary, the greatest commandment is: love God and love your neighbors. In Luke 10, when this scripture was quoted, a lawyer asked “who is my neighbor?” and this led Jesus to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan who was on his way to Jericho and met a wounded man and helped him (Luke 10:25-37) . So your neighbor is not just someone living near you but rather, anyone who needs your help. So, you don’t have to know your neighbor before you can help them.
We cannot help God because God is omnipotent, meaning He alone is all power and supreme. In fact when Uzziah wanted to help the ark of God from falling, in 2 Samuel 6:7, God struck him and he died. As good as our intentions may be we are unable to help God. However, we can help men. And by helping men, we show that we love God and others. God expects us to help others that is why he said “the love of others is the second greatest commandment.” The secret is that when you help others, you are doing as unto God and ultimately helping yourself.
1 Kings 3. :5-13. “5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”6 Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
7 “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.”
So because Solomon wanted wisdom to help others and was not selfish, God gave him wisdom and even the things he did not ask for like wealth and honor that no other king ever had. So help others today, remember you are not doing it just for them, but for God and He will surely reward you in Jesus name. Have a blessed day.
