WHOLE-HEARTED: A 5-Day Journey Exploring the Essential Center for MissionExemplo

Having observed Jesus’ wise handling of various debates with the Pharisees (Mark 12:1–27), a teacher of the law (scribe) comes to Jesus seeking his perspective on a question that was hotly debated among the rabbis of the day: “What is the first commandment?” This teacher is not asking a temporal question (which commandment was given first), but a priority question. Which commandment is the most important? Jesus’ answer is all about whole-heartedness: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (vv. 29–30, NRSV; see Deuteronomy 6:1–9). The greatest commandment is the call to be “all in” with God, offering him a love that involves 100% of who we are. There are no separate “God compartments;” this commandment requires that all facets of being human be directed toward a single treasure: loving God.

As He often does, Jesus gives the questioner more than he bargained for. Jesus joins a second commandment to the first, making them essentially two sides of the same coin. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (v. 31a; see Leviticus 19:8). Whole-hearted love for God and selfless love for others who bear the image of God—together these form the foundation of missional living and becoming more and more like Jesus. Of the pair of commands that He has identified as the inseparable top priority, Jesus says, “There is no other commandment greater than these” (v. 31b).

The response of the scribe is quite impressive. Not only does he approve of Jesus’ answer, giving him the equivalent of a verbal high five, but he also makes the astonishing assessment: “This is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices” (v. 33). Jesus responds to the scribe with reciprocal approval, observing that his receptive understanding of the priority of these two commands has drawn him close to the kingdom of God (v. 34).

And so, our portrait of whole-hearted living in pursuit of becoming more and more like Jesus continues to acquire important details. Undivided loyalty to God and His purposes, the intentional alignment of our desires and treasures with God’s priorities—to these we add “all in” love for God that involves every aspect of our existence, paired with genuine, selfless love for our neighbors who bear God’s image.