Sep 17 2023 How do we Love God Wholeheartedly?

2 women and a lawyer walk into a bar… now that I have your attention…

2 women and a Bible scholar walk into a bar…

We’re going to start with the Bible scholar… and there is no bar…

Expert in the Law = Bible scholar

Mark 12: 28 Now one of the experts in the law came and heard them debating. When he saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?" 29 Jesus answered, "The most important is: 'Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'

This is from Deut. 6 – and if you were to read all of the accounts where this is quoted, each author has a different combination of these 4 words – some use 2, some 3…

Aside from all of that – the point is this – love God with your whole being. We don’t have to know what their understanding of heart, soul and mind are – but with everything you are, love God.

When you do a wedding – the vows are sometimes – with all that I am… with all my being…

He is looking for wholehearted devotion to God.

Matthew says – the second is like it – Mark simply says:

31 The second is: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

These two are connected – and this is the essence of the Christian life – love God and love people.

It is the most important thing we do.

32 The expert in the law said to him, "That is true, Teacher; you are right to say that he is one, and there is no one else besides him. 33 And to love him with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

At this point – there is humor involved here. It is Mark’s attempt at a joke… This lawyer… The lawyers, scribes, pharisees and Jesus did not always have the best relationship = they were always trying to trick Him or get Him…

Or when that person comes up and says - That was really good… - and you try to deflect…

34 When Jesus saw that he had answered thoughtfully, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." Then no one dared any longer to question him.

So, with all these religious people after Him – here is one who is thoughtful.

And when He says – not far from the Kingdom of God – He is not saying, close, but no cigar… - The kingdom of God is a journey – and this man is on this journey – and Jesus brings up, in this situation – the kingdom of God – There are big books written and big debates about what the Kingdom of God is all about – but Jesus gets to the heart of it – Love God, Love people – and if you do that, you are close.

There are many ways to do the work of the Kingdom – and it will be different for everyone. And it does not look the same for everyone. For some, it is evangelism, others, missions – and for others still – justice for the poor, or relational healing. All of those are good and valuable – and we must not say it is only This or That.

God is calling each of us to this work and it looks different for each – but it begins first with loving God with your whole being.

There is no Kingdom work that does not have loving God at its source. All of God’s work must flow from that. Loving our neighbor must flow from loving God with our whole hearts. So often, it becomes loving the cause, or the mission – but not loving God with our whole hearts – to get wrapped up in the doing – but the doing flows out of love for God.

Love for God is manifested in loving one another – and loving others. If there is no loving others – there is no loving God.

We know you love God by loving your neighbor.

38 In his teaching Jesus also said, "Watch out for the experts in the law… 40 They devour widows' property, and as a show make long prayers. These men will receive a more severe punishment." 41 Then he sat down opposite the offering box, and watched the crowd putting coins into it. Many rich people were throwing in large amounts.

He doesn’t talk about blowing a horn, but people were watching and they knew what was happening.

42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, worth less than a penny. 43 He called his disciples and said to them, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the offering box than all the others. 44 For they all gave out of their wealth. But she, out of her poverty, put in what she had to live on, everything she had."

This woman demonstrated her whole-hearted devotion through self-sacrificial generosity.

This translation – I think, is a little flawed – where it says – less than a penny. These two copper coins – what is less than a penny to us? If someone throws less than a penny in – we think nothing. But for them – it was enough money to have one small final meal…

This was her meal for the day – and she gave it to the Lord.

We look at this and think – that is crazy – or foolish – OR – we could have a lot of guilt – what does this mean for me? I would be the kind of person to feel guilty – if you have any money to buy food, you must not love Jesus with your whole heart.

But with these stories – this is one person’s story – Whom God called to demonstrate her love to Him and she chooses to do it.

When we read the Bible – some things are descriptive, and some are prescriptive. Some things are referenced, and some things are required. This is one person’s devotion being described. Now, we can say – How do I bring that into my life? Your situation is different – and yes, it is an example, but not an – “Everyone must live this way” – She put in what she had to live on – everything – went into her love of God. This is what these stories tell us.

Then – the second woman – a very different situation -

Mark 14: 3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. 4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.

Now, more than a YEAR’S wages! The average wage of the average person. Let’s just say, for us – this bottle was 30-40 grand! I’m guessing none of us have a jar of cologne or perfume worth 30K! That Hai-Karate in high school just did not cost that much!

They had extravagant devotion to the Lord.

There were those rebuking her. And there are those today who believe it is their job to tell others how to believe, how to spend their money, etc.

Why do we bother people?

6 "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.

This is a beautiful act of whole-hearted devotion.

7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.

This is not an excuse not to help the poor. This is a special situation for one woman at one point in history – here is the key – and very similar to the phrase about the widow – so these two are bookends.

8 She did what she could.

They both did what they could – and this was one point in history – only one person could do this – to prepare Jesus for burial.

There is one woman who can barely afford a happy meal and a woman who owns a $40,000 jar of perfume! Two very different situations. And it will be the same for us.

We will all show our devotion in different ways. And that is a good thing. There is not one set way.

As we go through different seasons in our lives, we find ourselves loving God with our whole being differently. When I was 18-19, it looked very different from it does now.

Even our kids – in their 30s and 40s – their jobs are more demanding – and they have to do it differently.

She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

It is not just about evangelism or doing work for the poor. These two – look at what they did – it is so different! We don’t know if the widow ever led someone to Jesus – or volunteered for a ministry – but what she did – every Christian knows.

We are told that the woman with the perfume was Mary from the Gospel of John. And Jesus says – what she did will be known.

How can we offer our full devotion – wholehearted devotion to God. Specifically? What are my circumstances now?

I think of my dad – and some of us here – caring for a spouse – and he has said – caring for a spouse 24/7 – was how he showed devotion to God. Some would say it would be better to be out witnessing! But this was how he showed wholehearted devotion to God.

For some, they love evangelism. Others love to volunteer and help others in need. Some serve in the Church – and that is another way to do it. We need to make sure we don’t discourage others or to let others discourage us.

Don’t let anyone say – that’s not really doing it right.

IT is too easy to want to judge – THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY! But for each of us – it is what God calls us to.

I will add – we need to get advice and counsel. God wants us to be humble. But then we need to allow God to lead us with a humble attitude – let God lead us how to faithfully serve Him. Then we need to accept the realities of our choice. When we serve Him – either in sacrificial generosity or extravagant service – then things will happen.

Mary breaks the 40K bottle of perfume. If you have ever broken something accidentally – you know how you felt! But to do it on purpose! Do you think God gave her another one? I doubt it.

We may make sacrificial financial decisions for God. And He may meet our basic needs. The reality – it could cause potential financial hardship! It doesn’t mean it will make everything better. But that is okay – if that is what you are called to.

Caution – Do not neglect your God-given responsibilities to others in your service to God.

“You neglect the commandment of God” – they weren’t caring for their parents because they were giving to God. When we are devoted to God and His work – sometimes we neglect the people we are called be responsible for. We need to fulfill our responsibilities and not use God as an excuse.

If you owe money to someone, you can’t say – I gave your money to God. We can’t take these stories and throw out everything else.

We can love extravagantly in situations.

We can discuss this – how do we love God with all our being and love people like these two women did?

One example: Your job. You work 40-50 (or more) hours/week. How, in that situation – do you love God. Some say – I love Him after that! Some say – if you worked where I work… - but Colossians says – whatever you do – do it for the Lord.

How can you do your work with all your heart? That is a way of loving God fully in those times. That is wholehearted devotion.

None of us thinks of our work/job as worship! But that is what it is! Talking to that customer that you wish you could strangle! But when you work wholeheartedly to God, it IS worship -and that is a transforming approach.