Mark 12:28
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? 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?
A scribe who had been listening to Jesus reasoning in debate with others perceived that He had answered well and asked Him which is the first or greatest commandment of all. The question belonged to a series of challenges by opponents meant to test and entrap Jesus. His plain and wise answers brought precious light to the people gathered and planted truths that would later bear fruit.
The question arose because the Pharisees held that the first four commandments mattered more than the last six, while Jesus had been teaching the need for good works. It stands within warnings and illustrations about the consequences of rejecting the Son of God. Those warnings apply to people in every age who refuse Christ as Redeemer and, unless they repent, the doom they foreshadow will be theirs.
In answer, the first of all the commandments is to love the Lord God with all the heart and soul and mind and strength, and the second like it is to love one's neighbor as oneself, with no other commandment greater than these. These two principles sum up and uphold the law and the prophets and bind every commandment together. The first four commandments express love to God and the last six express love to one's neighbor.
Love for one's neighbor flows from and rests on love for God. Supreme love to God is evidence that truth is an abiding principle in the mind and heart. Love for God is a living principle shown in willing obedience to His requirements. These two principles test character and show whether a person is obedient, are unchanging and as eternal as God's throne, and those who love God supremely express His goodness through love and compassion for others. True obedience is more than acknowledging truth, performing ceremonies, or offering sacrifices; it is faith working through love, purifying the soul, and giving God the whole service He requires.
The scribe honestly affirmed that to love God fully and to love one's neighbor as oneself is more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. That agreement, spoken despite the Pharisees' disapproval, showed moral courage. Jesus told him he was not far from the kingdom of God. These are rules that every church member who claims to be converted must pledge in the presence of God and brethren to strictly obey in manifesting practical obedience.