The First and Greatest Commandment
The First and Greatest Commandment is the most important commandment in the Bible.
The Bible is considered to be the most sacred text by all Christians. Although there are some differences between the bibles of different Christian denominations, all Bibles are divided into two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament, with the Old Testament being the more ancient of the two. The history of the Israelites, who were God’s chosen people, is recorded in the Old Testament. It
There are myths, stories of love and hate, peace and war, adultery, murder, victory and loss throughout the book. As well as prophetic stories, it contains tales of Godmessengers “‘s who came to remind people of how God expected them to behave, but more importantly, to foretell the coming of a Messiah who would save them from their sins. Years of compilation have resulted in the Old Testament, which contains the stories and messages of the prophets.
The New Testament tells the storey of the development of Christianity as well as the arrival of the long-awaited Messianic Messiah. There are sections on the time leading up to the Messiah’s birth in Nazareth, his life on earth, and the lessons he taught while he was here. The New Testament also tells the storey of his death, resurrection, and ascension into the presence of the Father. Following Jesus’ death and resurrection, the rest of the New Testament describes how his followers dealt with their loss, how they carried on his work and spread his message, and how they awaited the Lord’s promised “Second Coming.”
The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament, which literally translates as “Good News.” In the Bible, they are listed in the following order: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Despite the fact that all four gospels recount events from Jesus’ life, the Gospel according to Mark is distinct from the other three. Even though it is the shortest of the four gospels, it is considered to be the most important because, according to the Two-Source Hypothesis, it is believed that the gospels of Matthew and Luke drew much of their information from Mark (as well as another hypothetical source known as “Q”). It is possible to find large sections of these two gospels that are word-for-word identical to sections of Mark’s gospel. The significance of this is that Mark was believed to have been written first, and as a result, it is regarded as a “cornerstone” upon which the other gospels were built. It is traditionally believed to be John Mark, a disciple of Jesus who lived some time after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Although the book does not have an assigned author, and even though it is officially labelled the “Gospel According to Mark,” the author is not officially assigned (most likely between A.D. 55 and 70, since this is the date that the book is thought to be written). John Mark accompanied Jesus’ apostles Peter on their journeys and also worked alongside them in Rome. John Mark’s friendship with the apostle Peter has led to his being categorised as having apostolic origins, which means that it was written either by an apostle of Jesus or by someone who had a close relationship with an apostle. The apostle John Mark is mentioned in several of Paul’s epistles, possibly because he travelled with Paul and Barnabas on their missionary journey (who was his cousin). This close relationship with these influential figures in Christian history, particularly Peter the apostle, explains why the gospel of Mark is a narrative, and even at times reads like a biography of Jesus, recounting very specific events from his life as well as specific lessons that he taught. Working with Peter, he must have been privy to all kinds of stories about the man to whom he was so devoted, and for whom he and the rest of the Christian community had made such great sacrifices. As well as hearing many stories about Jesus’ teachings, which he and other apostles, disciples, and missionaries were passing on to others, he also witnessed many miracles. It is commonly referred to as “The First Commandment and the Greatest Commandment” because it is recounted in the Gospel According to Mark, 12: 28-34, as one of the stories of Jesus’ message.
While Jesus was preaching, a scribe approached him and inquired about which commandment was the first, or in other words which one was the most important to follow. In this narrative gospel of Mark, Jesus responded by saying that the first commandment was the most important. The emphasis of this passage is on Jesus’ response to “love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mk. 12:30) and to “love your neighbour as yourself” (Mk. 12:31). When the scribe who had initially questioned Jesus heard his response, he immediately responded by stating that he understood that these things were more important than all other things, particularly “burnt offerings and sacrifices required by the law” (Mk. 12:33). It is emphasised by the author, John Mark, in his writing that when Jesus saw that the scribe understood, he told him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” This highlights the importance that Jesus places on understanding and abiding by these commandments.
There’s nothing surprising about where this passage appears in the Bible, because it is surrounded by passages (particularly in chapters 11 and 12) that are very similar in that Jesus’ authority to teach and his beliefs are being challenged by those in authority in the Jewish faith, particularly those who run the Jewish Temple. Notably, Jesus responded by quoting not one, but two commandments that had been given to Moses and the Israelites many years before – found in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, respectively – and which had been given to Moses and the Israelites many years before. They are found not only in what Christians refer to as the Old Testament, but also in the Torah (the sacred scripture of the Jewish faith), which Jesus would have been intimately familiar with as a practising Jew at the time. Equally significant is the fact that these passages are based on the central concept of love as a foundation. In light of these two important details, which cannot be overlooked, I believe that the message of “The First and Greatest Commandment” is to establish Jesus as the new lawgiver, with the message to love God and love others as a part of the message. We must know and understand these commandments, as well as apply them to our lives, and it is only when we are able to do so that we will be able to fully enter into the kingdom of God on a full and complete level.
Upon closer examination of Jesus’ response to the scribe, it is important to note that Jesus quotes from two passages from the Old Testament. This may appear to be insignificant, but it is actually quite significant. You should also take note of how Jesus’ authority is constantly being questioned and put to the test by Scribes and Pharisees, not only in the passages surrounding him but also in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, which are the books that surround the Gospel of Mark. It was the Jewish leaders who were uncomfortable with Jesus’ practises because he did not adhere to the Mosaic Law, or Covenant (the set of rules and regulations that strictly guided the Jews “religious and community life and acted as their ‘constitution,’ which also includes the Ten Commandments), to the extent that they believed he should have done. On the Sabbath, Jesus healed the sick and ate with sinners and lepers, both of which were things that the scribes and Pharisees would never dream of doing on their watch. Because of his use of the Jewish sacred texts, it was established that Jesus was a devout and practising Jew, something that the Scribes may have been perplexed by. This is because Jesus’ teachings declared to the Jews that he was the new covenant, the new lawgiver. The idea of something having greater authority than the Mosaic Law of the Old Testament was extremely unsettling to the Jewish leaders because they were neither aware of nor interested in a different path. The Old Testament is sometimes referred to as the “Law of Fear and Servitude” because it is preoccupied primarily with rules, laws, and punishments, rather than with people. Rather than a message of despair and doom, Jesus came to preach one of hope and love, which he summarised in two simple sentences. Thus, the New Testament is referred to as the New Law, or the “Law of Love and Liberty” as it is sometimes referred to. As Sullivan explains, this is why St. Thomas Aquinas believed that the New Law was infused, or that it came from within the individual. The Old Testament was concerned with outward appearances, whereas the New Testament was concerned with intimate relationships between individuals. However, while Jesus certainly stressed the importance of obedience to God, he also taught that it is preferable to obey the Lord out of love for him rather than out of fear of being punished. As a result of our deep affection for the Lord, we are naturally inclined from within ourselves to follow the law of God because we love him (hence the title “Law of Liberty” in the Bible). Likewise, it is only logical that we treat our neighbours with the same love and consideration with which they themselves are treated. Because the New Testament is a reflection on Jesus and his teachings, this passage in Mark serves as a perfect example of Jesus’ unique style of teaching, as well as how he established himself as the new lawgiver, or new covenant, to the people through his message of love for God and love for one’s neighbour.
As previously mentioned, the surrounding Gospels of Matthew and Luke contain the same passage; however, as Agnes Norfleet points out in her book Between Text and Sermon, the passages differ significantly from one another. When Jesus is interrogated in the other gospels, the atmosphere surrounding him is extremely tense, accusatory, and unreceptive. Instead of asking questions in order to receive answers, the individuals questioning (and challenging) Jesus are looking for a way to catch Jesus saying something that could be interpreted as offensive to Jewish faith and tradition, in the hopes of convicting him of blasphemy or another related crime and putting an end to the ministry of Jesus. After hearing Jesus’ response, his interrogators become even more enraged and determined to overturn his conviction than they were before. The same passage, but written in the Gospel of Mark, is a fascinating contrast! A pleasant and accepting environment can be found in Mark.
More importantly, the scribe who questions Jesus takes the time to consider the response he receives and discovers that he agrees with it. The fact that he believes these commandments must be “more important than the burnt offerings and sacrifices required by the law” demonstrates his understanding of Jesus’ message, as he is able to apply it to his own life. Unlike the Jewish leaders in the surrounding books and passages, he is able to see the big picture and see past the “Law of Fear and Punishment” to the message of “Love and Liberty” that Jesus preaches, which he contrasts with the Jewish leaders in the surrounding books and passages. And this is exactly what Jesus desires of all of his followers! Rather than simply accepting his message, he wants his followers to judge it for themselves and, if they agree, to put it into action in the course of their daily lives! If you want to know how important Jesus thinks this is, and how much he wants us to understand and act on his love, look no further than the statement he makes to the wise scribe: “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
It is possible to interpret and debate hundreds of different interpretations of Mark 12:2–34, but I believe that the theological message of this passage was to establish Jesus as the new lawgiver and to preach his message of love for God and for others. As soon as he is able to accomplish this, his followers will realise that they can live out his message by comprehending and applying it to their everyday lives. As the scribe predicted, when Jesus’ followers fully lived out the “First and Greatest Commandment,” they would find themselves in a place they had longed to be in, and a place in which Jesus wishes all of humanity to be, and that place is “not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34).
Bibliography
Catherine A. Cory and David Landry are co-authors of this work. The Theological Tradition of the Christian Church. Pearson Education, Inc. published the second edition in New Jersey in 2003.
The International Student Bible for Catholics: New American Bible is a translation of the International Student Bible for Catholics. Thomas Nelson, Inc. published the book in 1987 in Nashville.
Agnes W. Norfleet’s article “Mark 12:28-34” appeared in Interpretation: Between Text and Sermon 51, no. 4 (October 1997): 403-406; Norfleet, Agnes W. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials is available through EBSCOhost (accessed March 8, 2008) .
John J. Sullivan, S.J., and John J. Sullivan The Commandment of Love: The First and Greatest of the Commandments, as explained by St. Thomas Aquinas, is the most important of all the Commandments. The first edition was published by Vantage Press in New York in 1956.
Malmin, Mark. “The Ethical Morality of Christianity Requires an Assiduous Pursuit of the Great Commandment.” Open Journal of Social Sciences 10, no. 1 (2022): 36-56.
Paxton, Raymond D. “Christian Devotional Meditation and Holistic Well Being.” (2022).
