“The second is this: “‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” There is no commandment greater than these.”
~ Mark 12:31
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you say what you say bluntly or tactfully? Do you think that it is better to say what you say in an outspoken or in a diplomatic way? Do you tend to blurt out or carefully parse what you say? Your grandpaa will more often than not say what he is thinking in a candid and honest way. Your grandpaa does not do very well saying what he is thinking in a thoughtful and sensitive way. Do you know of any guys in the Bible who uncompromisingly said what they said? Do you know who referred to Mosaic Law teachers – guys who were Pharisees, as guys who liked to walk around in flowing robes, who expected to be greeted in marketplaces, who always took the most important synagogues seats, who always claimed a banquet’s honored places, who kicked widows out of their homes and who would show off by praying super long prayers? This guy told his listeners that the Mosaic Law teachers were going to be severely punished. You probably have figured out that this guy was Jesus. Mark did not mess with writing a lot of words when he scribed what was told him and what he saw with his own eyes in the book that goes by his name. Mark wrote very frankly. Mark recorded in Mark 12 what Jesus thought of the Mosaic Law teachers – the Pharisees. Mark also documented how Jesus responded to some Pharisees, some Herodians – who were guys who supported Roman rulers and some guys from the Hellenized house who tried to trick him with a tax question. Jesus calmly told these disingenuous dudes that they were just trying to trap Him but that He would still play their game. When Jesus asked the guys for a coin, the guys gave Jesus a denarius. A denarius was a coin about the size of a dime. A denarius was referred to as a penny and worth about a day’s wage. Jesus asked the guys who were trying to trick Him whose portrait and inscription was on the denarius. When the dudes told Jesus that the portrait that was on the denarius was that of Caesar, Jesus told these guys that they were to give to Caesar what was due Caesar and to give to God what was due God. Mark also recounted at this time about a confrontation that Jesus had with some Sadducees. Guys who were Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection, in a soul’s immortality and in the spirit world. These guys thought that they had nailed Jesus when they asked Jesus whose husband a gal would have in heaven after a gal had been married to seven guys. They were using the Mosaic Law to try to trick Jesus. The Mosaic Law said that a gal was to marry the next oldest bro of her husband if he should die. Jesus’ answer to these narrow-minded dudes was that there would not be any marriage relationships in heaven but that guys and gals would be just like heavenly angels.
Would you rather have other kids – or guys or gals, talk to you bluntly or candidly or would you rather have other kids – or guys or gals, talk to you tactfully or considerately? One of the parables or allegories that Jesus told the guys, gals and kids who were listening to Him was about a new vineyard. After the guy who had purchased the vineyard had planted grapevines in his new vineyard, the guy put up a wall around his vineyard, dug a pit for the winepress, built a watchtower to keep an eye on the vineyard and rented his vineyard to some farmers. When the grapevines began to produce grapes, the owner of the vineyard sent a servant to collect some of the grapes for him. When the farmers who were renting the vineyard saw the guy’s servant coming, they decided to beat up the servant. After the vineyard owner sent more of his servants to his new vineyard to bring back grapes for him and having the scurrilous farmers who were renting his vineyard beat up or even murder these servants, the owner of the vineyard decided to send his only son – thinking that the farmers who he was letting rent his vineyard would not want to harm or even kill his son. The vineyard’s owner really loved his son. Do you know who the vineyard’s owner is in this parable or allegory that Jesus told the guys and gals who were listening to Him? Do you know who the son is in this parable or allegory that Jesus told the guys and gals who were listening to Him? Do you know who the farmers are in this parable or allegory that Jesus told the guys and gals who were listening to Him? Do you know where the location is of the vineyard that is in the parable or allegory that Jesus told the guys and gals who were listening to Him? The vineyard’s owner – Who is God – as God the Father, one day planted a new vineyard on planet Earth. After renting His vineyard to farmers – who are the guys, gals and kids who lived, who are living and who will live on planet Earth and having these farmers beat up and even kill His message carriers, God – as God the Father, sent His only Son – Who is Jesus, to planet Earth to . . . Jesus used this parable or allegory to tell the guys and gals who were listening to Him that He was going to be killed by the enemies of God – just as the guys who were renting the vineyard in the parable or allegory that he told the guys and gals who were listening to Him killed the son of the guy who had purchased the vineyard. Jesus was not intimidated by His enemies – who were the Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, etc. Jesus would actually incite His enemies to do whatever they had to do to kill Him.
If Jesus was sitting next to you right now and you ask Him how you should talk to other kids – or to guys and gals, what do you think that Jesus would tell you? Jesus would tell you to apply verse 31 which says, “The second is this: “‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” There is no commandment greater than these.” Jesus has made if very clear in this verse that if you do not love yourselves, that you will not be able to love another guy, gal or kid if you are not okay with how God has created you. God expects you first to love Him with all your soul, spirit, heart and strength.
Mark 12 (854)