9 of 12 Christian Basics: All that I Have Commanded

Religion can be really complex. Religious experience, commandments and ethics, practices, rituals, the hierarchy of religious institutions and organizations, faith and works, racial and ethnic diversity, gender inequality—the list of religious topics and priorities seems endless.

When Jesus was asked the simple question, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” he replied with a simple but profound insight (Mark 12:28-34). The person asking the question was a Jew, a teacher of the law, who knew that there are 613 laws in the Torah. So the question itself actually is an insightful one. Of all of those commandments, he was asking, which are the priorities?

Jesus’s answer was equally simple and straightforward:

 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 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: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

The questioner appeared to be totally satisfied with Jesus’s answer. Love God with your whole being, love your neighbor as yourself. These two statements sum up Jesus’s entire ethic for his followers. He commanded his followers to make disciples and teach them to observe all that he commanded. Difficult, yes; challenging, yes; complex, no. Throughout history, followers of Jesus who have attempted to make his priorities their own have changed the world and continue to do so. He taught these priorities and he lived them. He asks that all who wish to follow him do the same.

You can see the entire study on the 12 basics of Christian theology here.

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