Scripture
Realising how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”

Observation
One of the teachers of the Law recognises Jesus' authority and so he asks, “Which is the most important commandment?”

Jesus replies with the words of the Shema, the Jewish statement of faith- the Lord is the one and only God and you must love Him with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength. He then adds the commandment to love your neighbour as yourself as equally important,

The teacher responds, recognising that loving one's neighbour is more important than any sacrifice or offering.

Jesus sees that the man really understands his message and tells him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”

Application
As Christians, our love for God is more important than religious duties. Attending church, going to Bible Study, paying tithes- these are all good things but they do not in themselves cause you to love God. Nor are they a relationship with God.

Love for God comes first and everything flows from that.

If we love God, then we will also love those whom God loves- our neighbours, the people around us. It's inconceivable that we could love God and not love people.

Prayer
Father, please help me to love you and your people more than I do right now. Amen.