Scripture: Mar 12:28-30 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 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.
Observation: Often the scribes and Pharisee liked to try to trick Jesus. Lesson for us, Never try to trick God! It is almost humorous to think about that. However in this instance, Jesus received and honest question from an honest scribe. What is the Number One commandment? Jesus' answer was straight forward. He quoted from Deuteronomy 6:4-6. However, his quote was slightly different than the Hebrew text we have today. Deuteronomy says " Love the Lord God with all of your Heart, Soul, and Might. Jesus said, " Love the Lord your God with all of your Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength". In Deuteronomy the word "Might" could be translated "everything you have", so perhaps "Mind and Strength" is simply a translation of "Might". Or perhaps something in the language of the day made that a clearer explanation of the Hebrew used Deuteronomy.
Application: Many argue that today's amplified and paraphrased translations are not the Word of God. In this verse, I see Jesus amplifying the Hebrew into the language of his day. He clearly articulates that God wants everything from us. He wants to be Number One in our life. If God is not Number One in our lives, we need to make some adjustments.
Prayer: Thank you Jesus that you have made your Word clear to us. Thank you for making it plain, so that we can understand it. Thank you for giving your life, so that we can live eternally in heaven with you. Help us dear Lord, to keep you first in your lives. Let us make Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, Number One in our lives this day and ever day here to come. Amen
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