p. 233 | The Sabbath-School by C. P. Bollman

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Apr 15, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 15.

The Sabbath-School.

By C. P. Bollman

Notes on the International Lesson.

THE TWO GREAT COMMANDMENTS.

JESUS was surrounded on every hand by enemies who were on the alert to take advantage of something that he might say which they could use against him. On this occasion the Sadducees had been questioning with him relative to the resurrection, "and one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?"

JUST what motive prompted this question the record does not inform us, but it would seem that it was a real desire to understand the truth, for Jesus at once answered, "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; 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 the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."

"AND the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth; for there is one God; and there is none other but he; and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God."

IN answering the scribe as he did, the Saviour not only stated an important truth, namely, that love is the fulfilling of the law, but he did it in the manner best calculated to carry conviction to the mind of a Jew, i. e., by appealing to the writings of Moses. The first great commandment, namely, supreme love to God, our Saviour quoted from Deut. 6:4, 5, and the second, namely, equal love to our fellows, he quoted from Lev. 19:18. But in so doing he was simply taking his own. His Spirit had moved Moses to utter and to record those very words, therefore they were not the words of Moses but of God.

NOTHING short of perfect love meets the requirements of the divine law. The man who loves anything more than he loves God does not obey the first commandment, nor does he fulfill perfectly any duty to God. He may not make graven images, he may not blaspheme, and he may outwardly observe the Sabbath, but if he loves anything more than he loves God he is an idolater, and his service is not acceptable to Him who looks at the heart.

BUT not only is love necessary to enable us to keep the commandments which define our duty to God, but it is likewise necessary to enable us to perform our duty to our fellow-men. How can one keep from coveting, simply by loving his neighbor as himself, and if he does not do that he will covet, and covetousness, says the apostle, is idolatry. And thus it is literally true that "whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all," for in violating a single specification of that law the sinner shows that he is without that love which alone will enable him to keep any part of it acceptably.

"GOD is love," and in requiring us to cultivate and exercise love, the Creator simply requires that we should do that which will cause us to become like him. And this is not an arbitrary or unreasonable requirement, for while God requires it he gives the ability to perform it. It is God who worketh in us both to will and to do of his good-pleasure. Christians are represented as branches of the vine, Christ himself being the parent stalk, and all their sap and nourishment come from him. God requires great things, but he also promises and provides great things.

WE have before remarked that the scribe was probably honest in asking the question which our Lord answered so admirably, and of this we have another evidence in the fact that he was perfectly satisfied with the reply. He said: "Well, Master, thou hast said the truth. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." One who loves truth and who can discern truth certainly has some of the Spirit of God, and if cherished, that Spirit will lead into all truth.