Closer

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Mark 12:28-34

28)One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating.

Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments,

which is the most important?"

29)"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

30)Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'

31)The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

There is no commandment greater than these."

32)"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.

33)To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength,

and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

34)When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."

And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

What was it about what that man said that made Jesus tell him "you are not far from the kingdom of God"?

Is the "kingdom of Heaven" that Jesus is speaking about, while we're alive here on earth, the closeness and blessings we recieve from God in doing God's will? Like being in the "flow" of goodness, rather than the flow of evil? A oneness in communication with God?

Is that what He means by "kingdom of Heaven"?

No one ever really tries to explain this. Most people shoot verses about and say it's all about obeying the commandments and doing good and going to Heaven when we die because we believed on Jesus, but they never try to fully explain the kingdom the way it's used in the NT so many times by Jesus.

Is that because, as Jesus said, some people "block the door to the kingdom of Heaven"?

[Resting in Christ]

Mark 12:28-34

28)One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating.

Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments,

which is the most important?"

29)"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

30)Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'

31)The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

There is no commandment greater than these."

32)"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.

33)To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength,

and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

34)When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."

And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

What was it about what that man said that made Jesus tell him "you are not far from the kingdom of God"?

Jesus was acknowledging the man's understanding of the nature of the reality of our relationships. Still, "not far" is also not quite there yet: A man needs to be faithful and obedient even more than he needs to understand.

[elkieDannsa' Air An Drochaid]

Once someone said; "It's what you do with what you know"!

[None]

It seemed to me that the man had a desire for God and an understanding of God that Jesus was impressed with.

I'm sure Jesus knew that man's future, as He knew Judas', and was speaking in terms of it.

I guess my question is, what exactly does everyone feel the true meaning of this "kingdom of Heaven" is, that Jesus spoke of in this verse? It seemed like the man was either going to die soon or enter the "kingdom" spiritually while still alive on earth because of his relationship with God?

Obviously, one would have to be a faithful child of God in order to enter the kingdom of Heaven. God knows who all of His children are. He knew us before we were born.

[None]

Once someone said; "It's what you do with what you know"!