Mark 12:28-34-- Love God, Love Others

One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, "What commandment is the foremost of all?" Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; AND 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." The scribe said to Him, "Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; 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 HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions. 

After three challenges, a scribe comes up who asks Jesus an honest question.  He wishes to know what the most important command is.  Jesus gives him two—Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18.  The first was quoted everyday in the Jewish devotion to God, and is called the Shema, after the first Hebrew word in the sentence.  Jesus calls this the most important law, partly because it is given so much emphasis in Deuteronomy, even more than the ten commands in Deuteronomy 5.  But also because one could obey every command, but still not be devoted to God.  And being devoted to God is the heart of having a true relationship with him.  In the ten commands, worshipping God, not worshipping idols, not taking God’s name in vain and obeying the Sabbath all are commands focused on being devoted to God.  The second command focuses on loving your neighbor.  To love your neighbor is to act with benevolence toward all others.  This is the focus of the last six commands of the ten.  All obedience is focused on one of these two things.  The scribe also points out that without the devotion and benevolence, then obedience is pointless.  Jesus rewards the scribe with a rare word of praise, because he understands the basic principles of the law of the kingdom.

So many focus on their love of God, wanting purity and holiness, but despising those who fall short of purity.  Yet to fail to love others is to fail to love God.  If we do not love the impure, we fall short of the holiness of God.

So many focus on their love of people, creating peace and harmony on earth, but they ignore their Creator.  They forgot that God, too, is a person, a neighbor, an object of love.  If we do not love God, we do not love all people.

Thus does the love of God and the love of neighbor completely intertwine.  To skip one love is to skip love altogether.