When Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God, people listened. In fact, there were times when he spoke with such conviction that his listeners were silenced (Mark 12:34).
For Jesus, the kingdom of God was everything—his life, his breath, his food, and his drink. Jesus knew the abundant life, the intimacy, the rest, and the grace that comes from obeying the two great commandments (Mark 12:30-31).
What a powerful moment when Jesus told the scribe, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34). It was not only the words that were special but the One who spoke them. Jesus spoke, not as one impressed with a good man’s intellectual insight but as one who knew intimately what it meant to be in the kingdom of God. If anyone knew what life in God’s kingdom looks like, it was Jesus.
Jesus is the most amazing person ever to have walked the face of the earth. Consider his miracles, his healings, his teachings. No one else displayed such power, authority, or wisdom. But even more amazing than all of this was Jesus’ ability to love.
Walk the way of the cross, and you will see perfection. Look at the face of the Crucified One, and you will see love in its purest form. “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).
Jesus commissioned his disciples to do many things—preach the gospel, cure the sick, raise the dead, feed the hungry. But perhaps his most challenging command was to “love one another, just as I have loved you” (John 13:34).
In order to love as Jesus loved, we must be filled with his Spirit. When you do not feel strong enough to continue, cry out to the Spirit for strength.
When in doubt as to how to love in a specific situation, ask God for wisdom and it will be granted to you. It is indescribably rewarding to love as Jesus did. As you do, you can
come closer to Jesus and hear him whisper to your heart: “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
