The First Commandment

“And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” (Mr 12:29-30 AV)

Not too complicated this morning, but it is everything.  We say we love a lot of things.  We may say that we love a favorite food.  Some may scale the highest peak or swim the widest ocean for a good BBQ.  We may say we love a certain sports team.  I have seen fanatics do some rather extreme things for the sake of their favorite sports team.  We may say that we love a certain activity like shopping or hunting.  Hunting is a billion-dollar industry.  A common object of love is our love for liberty and freedom.  Our forefathers were willing to die for such a love.  We would hope that we could say that we love our spouses, children, or parents.  Such love is encouraged and even rewarded.  This is how God designed us to be.  The question becomes, what do we love the most?  Our actions and where we spend our resources will tell us where our heart lies.  That which occupies our minds will give us an indication of who or what we love the most.  What do we dwell on?  What do we research?  What do we maintain or care for?  The first and greatest commandment is to love the LORD with our whole being more than anything or anyone in the world.  Yet, I find a temptation among God’s people.  That is, to presume upon the grace of God and love something or someone else expected God to be ok with it.

There is a presumption in a marriage relationship that is not healthy.  Some treat their spouse as a person who will devote themselves regardless of their own personal commitment.  They believe the marriage vow grants permission to neglect their spouse in pursuit of another pleasure or obligation.  I have seen spouses dedicate themselves to their careers because they believe supplying material goods is the best way to show their love.  Not so.  Time and attention are what they want.  I have seen men lose their spouses because they worked more hours at the factory than they spent at home.  They may have earned triple time, bought a nice home, and provided the funds for their wives to decorate, furnish, and fill that home with her personality, but in the end, the marriage was empty and little devotion was seen between the two.  He had his life and she has hers.  These relationships usually end up in my office and sometimes in divorce court.  At the very least, they are cold and dispassionate towards one another.  Why?  Because both presumed upon the marriage vow as a chain by which the other is bound no matter how much they personally failed.  The other was obligated and could not go anywhere.  Therefore, they interpreted this arrangement as a license to be what they wanted or pursue what they desired.

We treat the LORD the same way when we assume His grace could never be removed.  We presume upon His mercy and forgiveness without loving Him in return.  We assume He has no feelings because His grace is eternal and unlimited.  We seek forgiveness when we need it, knowing He will grant it.  All the while never changing who and what we are.  The first and greatest commandment is to love the LORD with our whole being.  If we cannot do this, then the rest of the commandments become impossible.  He has done so much for us.  He created us with the privilege to love Him in return.  He sent His Son to pay our debt that sin might be eternally forgiven.  We have a clean slate because Jesus paid it all.  All God asks is that we are singularly devoted to Him!  To love Him first.  To love Him the most.  That is all.  This is reasonable.  Our spouses will put up with a lot.  They will excuse our poor devotion for a time.  As gracious as our spouses are, the LORD is infinitely more gracious.  So, let us love the LORD with our whole being.  Not because we are told to.  Rather, because that is what He is owed and there isn’t another who is more worthy of our love!