Shall or Shall Not?

SCRIPTURE: Mark 12:30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

OBSERVATION: Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment. I may have been a trick question or it may have been a sincere question, we're not really sure. Some people are insincere in their approach to Jesus. They ask questions, not to satisfy their search for truth but to discredit Jesus and Christianity. Their mind is already made up. They are just antagonistic. Others are genuinely seeking truth and feel that Jesus might be the answer they are looking for. Whether the motive is pure or impure, the truth is the truth. We can share with people and then leave the issue of their response to them. In this story, the man's response was a good one.
When Jesus was asked, "What is the greatest commandment?" what was the asker expecting to hear? What would people of today expect if this question were asked? We think of the ten commandments. Those are the ten biggies -- the top ten, so to speak. Written by God's own finger and given to Moses on the mountain to be delivered to God's people. The ten commandments -- many people consider them to be the basis for all civilized legislatures and legal systems. So, the first words that were expected certainly these: "Thou shalt not..." This is the start and the theme of the ten commandments. But Jesus threw them a curve. Instead of 'Thou shalt not" He said, "Thou shall..." Not only that, but "thou shall love..."

APPLICATION: Many people today see Christianity as a 'thou shalt not' kind of affair. Jesus declares that it is a 'thou shalt' thing. He took all the objectivity of the law and the prophets and he hung them all on the subjectivity of 'love God with all that you are.' That's pretty awesome. And that's what allow me to be a 'thou shalt' kind of Christian instead of a 'thou shalt not' kind of Christian.

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for trusting me enough to replace the 'thou shalt not's with a 'thou shall.' I will honor You. Amen.