Mark 12:28-34

“God is never satisfied with anything less than the devotion of our whole life for the whole duration of our lives.” - Sinclair Ferguson 

Loving God with our whole being includes:

  • Obedience to His Word (Deut 6:2) 

  • Teaching His Word to others (Deut 6:7-9)

  • Displaying Him in my life and home (Deut 6:8-9)

  • Remembering how He has provided for me (Deut 6:12)

  • Not putting anything before Him that pulls my attention and affection from Him (Deut 6:14) 

Loving your neighbor as yourself includes: 

  • Care for the poor, the immigrant, and the refugee (Lev19:9-10, 33-34)

  • Dealing honesty with others (Lev 19:11-12)

  • Not oppressing or robbing others (Lev 19:13)

  • Honoring God in my business dealings (Lev19:13, 35-36)

  • Care for the deaf and the blind (Lev 19:14)

  • Showing proper justice for all (Lev 19:15)

  • Not speaking improperly of others (Lev 19:16-18)

  • Honoring God in sexuality (Lev 19:20-22)

  • Not trafficking others (Lev19:23)

  • Honoring the elderly (Lev 19:32)

Discussion questions:

  1. Read Mark 12:28-34

  2. How can passages that we are familiar with, such as this one, be a stumbling block to our spiritual growth?

  3. Read Deuteronomy 6. Identify the areas that we see are the fruit produced by loving God with our whole being. What areas do you need to grow in and what steps can you take to move in this direction?

  4. Read Leviticus 19. How does the context of the call to love your neighbor reshape how you think about neighbor love? While this list is not exhaustive, are there areas that you were challenged to think more biblically in your display of love for your neighbor?