ARE YOU THERE YET?

Mark 12:28-34

²⁸ One of the scribes came near and heard them debating with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment takes priority over all of them?” ²⁹ Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; ³⁰ you will love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’[1] ³¹ The second is this, ‘You will love your neighbour as yourself.’[2] There is no other commandment greater than these.” ³² Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; ³³ and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbour as oneself,’– this takes priority over all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” ³⁴ When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.

get there

The scribe was close to getting there. He had the right questions and the right answers. He approached the right person – the Lord Jesus Christ. He was not antagonistic toward Jesus, but agreed that the Lord had answered his questions accurately, being faithful to the scriptures. Yet Jesus said he was “not far” – meaning that he was close, but not there yet.

Friend, are you there yet? Have you stopped simply agreeing with Jesus and started living for him? That point in your life may be mere inches – mere seconds away, but that point of conversion will make an eternal difference. You have to live for someone, and – if you are close to the kingdom – you know that living for yourself is not the right choice.

LORD, help my friends who are close to your kingdom to get there.

[1] Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Joshua 22:5.

[2] Leviticus 19:18.