Journey Through The Bible
     Old Testament Reading: Job 21-24
     New Testament Reading: Mark 12

When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to question him any longer (Mark 12:34).

The time for Jesus’ death was approaching quickly and the religious establishment descended on Him as He ministered in the temple, trying their best to trap Him with their questions.

First, the Pharisees tried to trick Him with a question about paying taxes to Rome. No Jews particularly enjoyed living under Gentile rule and the Pharisees hated it with a passion. If Jesus openly endorsed paying tribute to Caesar, He would alienate many of the Jews. If He spoke against Caesar, they would hustle Him to the Roman authorities for arrest and trial as a traitor.

Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him (v17). Their great failure had not been in the first area, but the second. They had paid their Roman taxes, though reluctantly, but had disregarded the claims of God on their lives. The coin had Caesar’s image on it and therefore belonged to Caesar. Man has God’s image on him, for God created man in his own image (Gen. 1:27) and therefore belongs to God.

Next, the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and questioned him (v18). Trying to ridicule the whole idea of resurrection, they devised an elaborate story posing a hypothetical question. They thought they were so smart and confident that their preposterous story would trap the Lord. But Jesus revealed their ignorance, saying Isn’t this the reason why you’re mistaken: you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God? (v24).

One of the scribes, impressed by our Lord’s skillful handling of His critic’s questions, asked Jesus which is the most important commandment. It was an honest question, and, in some ways, life’s most basic question. He was actually asking for a concise statement of the chief aim of man’s existence.

Jesus began by quoting from the Shema, a Jewish statement of faith taken from Deut. 6:4: Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one (v29). Then He summed up man’s responsibility to God: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength (v30). God is to have the supreme place in man’s life.

The other half of the Ten Commandments teach us to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are to love God more than ourselves, and our neighbor as ourselves. Thus, the life that really counts is concerned first with God, then with others. He does not mention material things, for only God and people are important.

The scribe agreed heartily, realizing that people could go through religious ceremonies and put on a public display of piety without inward, personal holiness. He acknowledged God is concerned with what a man is inwardly as well as outwardly.

When Jesus heard this remarkable observation, He told the scribe You are not far from the kingdom of God (v34). After this, no one dared to try to trap the Lord Jesus by asking Him leading questions.