Mark 12:30

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. AND THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THY HEART, AND WITH ALL THY SOUL, AND WITH ALL THY MIND, AND WITH ALL THY STRENGTH. THIS IS THE FIRST COMMANDMENT....

28-34 Those who sincerely desire to be taught their duty, Christ will guide in judgment, and teach his way. He tells the scribe that the great commandment, which indeed includes all, is, that of loving God with all our hearts. Wherever this is the ruling principle in the soul, there is a disposition to every other duty. Loving God with all our heart, will engage us to every thing by which he will be pleased. The sacrifices only represented the atonements for men's transgressions of the moral law; they were of no power except as they expressed repentance and faith in the promised Saviour, and as they led to moral obedience. And because we have not thus loved God and man, but the very reverse, therefore we are condemned sinners; we need repentance, and we need mercy. Christ approved what the scribe said, and encouraged him. He stood fair for further advance; for this knowledge of the law...

Verse 30. _THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD_] On the nature and properties of the _love of God_ and _man_, and the _way_ in which this commandment is fulfilled, Matthew 22:37, Matthew 22:37, c....

See the notes at Matthew 22:34. Mark 12:28 PERCEIVING THAT HE ANSWERED THEM WELL - That is, with wisdom, and with a proper understanding of the law. In this case the opinion of the Saviour corresponded with that of the Pharisees; and the question which this scribe put to him now seems to have been one of the very few candid inquiries of him by the Jews for the purpose of obtaining information. Jesus answered it in the spirit of kindness, and commended the conduct of the man. Mark 12:29 HEAR, O ISRAEL! - This was said to call the attention of the Jews to the great importance of the truth about to be proc

EXPOSITION MARK 12:1 AND HE BEGAN TO SPEAK UNTO THEM IN PARABLES. This particular parable which follows was specially directed against the scribes and Pharisees; but it was uttered in the presence of a multitude of the people. "He _began _to speak … in parables." He had not used this form of instruction till now in Jerusalem. A MAN PLANTED A VINEYARD. The imagery of the parable would be familiar to them from Isaiah (Isaiah 5:1). But Palestine was eminently a land of "vineyards," as well as of "oil olives." The man who planted the vineyard is no other than God himself. "Thou hast brought a vine" out of Egypt; thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it." The imagery is specially appropriate. No property was considered to yield so rich a r

AND THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD THY GOD,.... Which is to be understood of the one God, Father, Son, and Spirit; for all the three divine persons are to be equally loved, being possessed of the same perfections and excellencies, and having done the same works, and having bestowed like benefits and favours upon men: and though there is now no principle of love to God in men; but, on the contrary, men are enemies to God in their minds, which appears by their wicked works; yet this commandment is still in force, and the obligation to it is the same; the fall of man, the corruption of nature, and the impotency, and even aversion in man to observe this command, do not make it null and void: and in regeneration, when God puts his laws into the heart, and writes them in the mind; love is produced in such persons, to God the Father, who has begotten them again, according to his abundant mercy; and t...

Mark 12:12. _And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way._ Christ's enemies could not injure him then, partly because the people heard him gladly, and were ready to protect him, but still more because the appointed time for his suffering and death had not fully come. Mark 12:13. _And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his word. And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth:_ They meant «to catch him in his words,» if they could, so they baited their trap with flattery. Whenever a m

CHAPTER 12 _ 1. The Parable of the Vineyard. (Mark 12:1 .Matthew 21:33; Luke 20:9)_ 2. The Question concerning the Tribute Money. (Mark 12:13. Matthew 22:15; Luke 20:20) 3. The Sadducees Questioning concerning Resurrection. (Mark 12:18. Matthew 22:23;...

THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT. This further question does not seem to be put in a spirit of hostility. The scribe may have been a Pharisee who admired the answer Jesus had given to the Sadducees. There was no real doubt as to the greater commandment. The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4 f.) was repeated daily by the Jews. It was the foundation-text of their monotheism, which was not a speculative theory but a practical conviction (pp. 618f.). Jesus adds to it Leviticus 19:18. Love to God finds its only adequate fulfilment in love to one's neighbour. God's worship lies in social duty. Love to one's neighbour must be rooted in love of God. Wellhausen says, the combination was first effected in this way by Jesus; this is not certain, and, at any rate, in this Jesus stood in complete and conscious agreement with Phari

REJECTION AND RETRIBUTION (Mark 12:1-12)...