I am often apologized to by spouses of people who are suffering from an illness, and who have not been to church for some time because they have been caring for their husband or wife. I always assure them that they are doing the right thing; that taking care of their spouse is the more godly thing to do than the religious activity of “going to church.” And Jesus’ teaching in Mark 12 affirms that:

Jesus told the scribe in :29-31 that loving God was the greatest commandment, and that loving others is the second. The scribe agreed and said that this “is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Jesus affirmed his words and said that he was not far from the Kingdom of God!

The truth the scribe had hit upon was one which many in his generation – and ours – have missed: that genuine love for God and for others is more important than “religious activities” like the sacrifices and offerings the scribe mentioned. The Jews of Jesus’ day had gotten caught up in ritualism and thought it pleased God: bring the sacrifice, make the offering, and assume that God was happy with them. He wasn’t. What He wanted from them was a genuine LOVE for Him, and for the people He created and loved. Doing “religious things” was no substitute for that love.

And of course the same thing is true for us today. Too many are willing to do all the right “religious” things: go to church, do the rituals, give the offerings – but are just like the Jews of Jesus’ day, and do not really demonstrate LOVE for God, and the people He has placed in their lives.

This should NOT become an excuse for us to break legitimate commandments that God has given us. But on the other hand, there are probably many of us whom God would be much more pleased with if we were a lot less “religious”, and a lot more loving!