What is the greatest commandment? How would you answer this? Many of us begin by reaching for memory, trying to recall what we’ve been taught. Then we begin to reason to make sense of what we remember.
In this series, we’re going to look at a number of creeds in the New Testament. A creed is a basic faith structure that we’ve learnt from memory. Our English word “creed” comes from the latin word “Credo” which means “I believe”. It is a statement of one’s beliefs and is articulated out loud. It is not just in one’s head, but when it’s confessed, it’s real. A creed is a faith statement that contains the essence of the faith. We affirm it because we have been taught so, and we call it to memory not only because we’ve been taught it, but we also work through it.
Many of us know creedal truths, but often, we’ve been taught the formula and have memorised it, but we’re not actually sure of the formulation. In this series, we hope to look at what the Bible says, and trace the formulation in order to grow in our certainty of, and love for God.
(A) The most important thing: God as God (Mark 12: 28-29)
As we begin this series, we want to start by considering what it means to confess a creed. Often we use it in a negative situation when we admit or reveal our mistakes or sin. In this case, what is previously hidden or inside is being brought out.
We look to Romans 10:9 as an example of a universally agreed creed. The formula is clear: the Lordship and resurrection of Christ. But how does Paul use the word “confess” in Romans 10:9? Here, the content of what is coming out is not a crime or error within us but is something else. We are to “declare” (as the NIV translates it) truth. This might come as a surprise to us today since we tend to think of the act of believing as a taking in of something and keeping it private.
In this study, we are going to consider the importance of confessing a creed. What is the value of confessing a creed? Ephesians 4:11-14 shows us that the different roles in the church — apostles, prophets, teachers etc — are to “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (c.f. Eph 4:11-12). Ephesians 14:13 states the goal plainly — “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”. This is so that we “may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Eph 4:14).
Creeds anchor us and prevent us from being easily tossed about. What does it look like for a Christian to be tossed about by the winds of doctrine? This person would be confused all the time. Today, we are perhaps people who have confused confusion with sophistication, people who hold different views but are unable to land anywhere. 2 Timothy 3:6-7 is a difficult description to read, as it describes people who are always learning and never able to arrive at the truth. It is also a picture of constant turbulence and a state of perpetual restlessness. It is one who is never able to find peace because they are too busy looking and studying theories about peace. What does it look like to be an immature Christian who is tossed about not by circumstances but also by doctrines? Does this describe you?
We turn to our passage today, in Mark 12:28-34. To understand this passage, we need to look at the context of this exchange with Jesus. Prior to this, Jesus was essentially being quizzed by the Sadducees and had to speak on the issue of the resurrection. In the chapter before, Jesus had entered Jerusalem with a triumphal entry (c.f. Mark 11:1-2). This was significant, because people were saying that God is bringing His king into Jerusalem at this time. Not long after, Jesus cleanses the temple (c.f. Mark 11:15). This definitely upset the religious leaders and they confronted him (c.f. Mark 11:27-28). Various religious leaders came to confront Jesus (c.f. Mark 12:12-13,18).
WIth this as the background, the scribe approaches Jesus to ask what the most important thing is in our faith (Mark 12:28). This unnamed scribe like approached Jesus with sincerity after hearing how Jesus answered the questions well.
Jesus’ answer in Mark 12:29 is taken from the Old Testament, in Deuteronomy 6:1-4. Deuteronomy 6:1 tells us that this was given to them before they entered the land and they are to hold on to it. There is an understanding here that to hear, to listen is not just to activate one’s auditory functions. To listen is to submit and participate in something outside ourselves and we are to direct ourselves wholly to that direction. What are they to pay attention to? It is the fact that the Lord our God is one. He is supreme.
There’s so much we can learn from this. Firstly, notice that Jesus did not come up with something new. He quoted Scripture as His authority. Jesus also quotes from Deuteronomy 4-6 when He was tempted (c.f Matt 4). There is something special in these verses that we should pay attention to. If the Son of God who knows God so well quoted the Old Testament, why don’t we read it? Why would we go anywhere else but Scripture?
Next, this teaches us that we are people of the word and believe that our God speaks. Because He speaks, our relationship to Him is marked by how we hear Him. As God’s people and those that follow Him, we receive the revelation that comes from outside of us because He has revealed Himself to us. Friends, when we go to church and hear God’s word, we are not going to study or look at powerpoints on slides. We are going to hear the words of God declared to us, and as we do so, we know the God who is one. No idol can rival Him, no gods are better than Him.
Our love for God, worship of God, creeds, don’t make God, God. God is simply God. There is none like Him. He stands without peer or rival. There is nothing more satisfying, complex, mysterious than God. We can never tire of learning about and discovering God. What does this mean? Does this mean we are always going to Bible studies? No! On your walks, remember that God is God. Or when you do your research or work in whatever field you are in, remember that God is God. There is no part of our world that doesn’t point to Him. If we remember that, we will have the beginnings of a God-centred life.
This also means that it is very possible for us to revert to religion that is not God-centred. We can substitute learning about God with looking at man’s theories about God. In this new year, reflect and also think about how you can live a life that is God-centred. How can He be at the centre of your life and what will it look like? If you do not know, it’s appropriate to spend 2023 exploring that.
(B) The most appropriate thing: Loving God (Mark 12:30)
Jesus goes on to cite an attached command in Mark 12:30. The logic is: because God is who He says He is, the command is to love Him wholeheartedly. He is good, beautiful and true. And because He is the epitome of goodness, beauty and truth, it is wrong for us to ignore, reject and neglect Him. This God is not just a God there to thrill our emotions, or impress our intellectual mind. Neither is He just the God that we organise our family life around. He is the God worthy of all of us.
See how total this demand is. God is not content with us just offering a portion of us. He wants our whole being — heart, soul, mind, strength. Our problem is that we are always trying to shortchange God. We like to tell Him that we’ve already giving Him this part of our life, so we are entitled to keep the rest of it, but we cannot do this to this God. Why are you holding back?
(C) The most needful thing: Love for neighbour (Mark 12:31-34)
Jesus introduces an appended third statement in Mark 12:31. This is a call to love our neighbours are we love ourselves. How does it connect to the previous two statements? We are to see that love for others flow from love that we have received from God. Again, Jesus reaches to the Old Testament, and this time, He draws from Leviticus 19:17-18.
A life caught up and enraptured by God, is also caught up by the people that have been made in His image. We are people made to be embodied creatures. We were not built for a digital world. Notice the word in Mark — “neighbour”. We were made to know one another in the physical space. As we get to know and love others, we also get to know and love the God who made them.
The scribe heard these and affirmed what has been said. He sees that the secret to a blessed life is to live in this way. It is not sophisticated and could be “basic” by those i the world, but it is Jesus’ way. In one sense we are not called to do very much. We are just called to be God’s people. Jude 20-23 gives us a picture of how we ought to live. It involves us knowing and reciting truths, keep ourselves in the love of God, wait for Him, be patient with those that struggle with doubt, share the gospel, and don’t fall prey to sin. The best way to be a neighbour is a simple one — to be a Christian near your friends!
What does a God-centered life look like in your context? Practically, it means thinking about the God who deserves to be loved with our whole being. It means thinking about those around you and how they are made in God’s image — and treating them with dignity. Who is your neighbour? How can you love them this year?