Jesus’ Greatest Commandment
أعظم وصاياالمسيح عليه السلام
[ English - إنجليزي ]
The Religion of Islam website
موقع دين الإسلام
2013 - 1434
The man was a teacher. He taught the Law ofMoses. He was impressed to see Jesus answering the questions ofhypocrites and heretics with wisdom:
“One of the teachers of the law came and heard themdebating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him,‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?’”
He felt it was his opportunity to ask Jesus, the GreatTeacher, what was the most important commandment, how he can be saved, enterlife and the Kingdom of God.
Now, we need to shed all our biases, everything wehave been taught in Sunday schools, and all the teachings of mortal men. All who love Jesus should let him talk:
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this:‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord yourGod with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and withall your strength.’”
A great answer to a great question: accept the Lordour God is One, love Him, and worship Him to the best of your ability.
Jesus was not finished. He had more toteach. Obviously Jesus was teaching the man everything he needed to getinto the Kingdom of God. Jesus added:
“…The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor asyourself.’”
The Great Teacher further clarified:
“There is no commandment greater than these.”
The man who questioned Jesus repeated the commandmentsto make sure he got them right:
Mark 12:32 “‘Well said, teacher,’ the man replied. ‘You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him…’”
Jesus seeing the man had learned the greatestcommandment correctly gave him the good news:
Mark 12:34 “When Jesus saw that he had answeredwisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’”
There are some significant lessons in this story:
First, Jesustaught the man more than he asked, yet he did not say he is the son of God, orthe Savior sent to redeem mankind of its sins. He did not say anythingremotely similar to what people are instructed to repeat to be ‘born again’ inChrist, “You should individually receive me, accept me as the Son of God, yourpersonal Lord and Savior who will die on the cross for your sins and will risefrom the dead. Let the Holy Spirit fill you…”
Take what Jesus said and leave what people have added.
Second,salvation depends on this commandment. Jesus made it clear when anotherman approached Jesus to learn from him (Mark 10:17-29). The man fell onhis knees and said to Jesus:
Mark 10:17-18 “Good teacher, what must I do to inheriteternal life?” Jesus replied: “Why do you call me good? No one isgood — except God alone.”
Third, Jesusconfirmed there is no commandment greater than these. In case, someonemight think the greatest commandment changed afterwards, Jesus told us:
Matthew 5:17-19 “For assuredly, I say to you, till theheaven and earth pass away, one jot or one title will by no mean pass from thelaw till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least ofthese commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom ofheaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdomof heaven.”
Fourth,anyone who loves Jesus and wants to enter life must keep the greatestcommandment of Jesus as he said:
John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commandments.”
Matthew 19:17 “If you want to enter life, obey thecommandments.”
Fifth, a sincereChristian should accept what Jesus said without twisting his words or findinghidden meaning in them. Jesus taught exactly what Moses taught some 2,000years before him:
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God,the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with allyour soul and with all your strength.”
Jesus, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him,taught the same eternal truth ALL the prophets of God taught to their people:God is One, worship Him alone.
Deuteronomy 6:13 “Fear the Lord your God, serve Himonly and take your oaths in His name.”
Deuteronomy 5:7 “You shall have no other God besidesMe.”
Isaiah 43:11 “I even, I am your Lord and besides Me,there is no Savior.”
Hosea 13:4 “I am the Lord your God who brought you outof the Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no savior except me.”
Psalms 95:6-7 “O come, let us bow down and worship,let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker. For we are the people of Hispasture and the sheep of His voice and He is our God.”
Jesus emphasized this teaching to Satan as well:
Matthew 4:10 “Away from me, Satan! For it is written:Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”
Sixth, theQuran confirms the greatest commandment of Jesus. The Quran teaches u***actly that God sent all the prophets with the same teaching: to worship theOne true God alone.
“…And your God is One God: there is no god but He…” (Quran 2:163)
“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him...” (Quran17:23)
“And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but Werevealed to him (saying): ‘none has the right to be worshipped but I, soworship Me.’” (Quran 21:25)
Seventh, onthe Day of Resurrection, the Quran tells us that God will ask Jesus:
“And [beware the Day] when God will say, ‘O Jesus, Son of Mary, did yousay to the people, ‘Take me and my mother as gods besides God?...’” (Quran5:116)
Jesus will respond:
“He will say, ‘Limitless are You in Your glory! It was not for me tosay that to which I have no right. If I had said it, You would have knownit. You know what is within myself, and I do not know what is withinYourself. Verily, it is You alone who fully knows all the things that arebeyond the reach of a created being’s perception. I said not to themexcept what you commanded me – to worship God, my Lord and your Lord. AndI was a witness over them as long as I was among them; but when You took me up,You alone had been their keeper:’ for You are witness unto everything. IfYou should punish them – indeed they are Your servants; but if You forgive them– indeed it is You who is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.” (Quran 5:116-118)
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