Mark 12:28–37

The Foremost Commandment

^28aAnd when one of the scribes came and heard them arguing, he ^brecognized that He had answered them well and asked Him, “What commandment is the ¹foremost of all?”

²⁹Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘^aHear, O Israel! The ¹Lord our God is one ²Lord;

^30aand you shall love the ¹Lord 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, ‘^aYou shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

³²And the scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that ^aHe is One, and there is no one else besides Him;

^33aand to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself, ^bis much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

³⁴And when Jesus saw that he had answered thoughtfully, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” ^aAfter that, no one would dare to ask Him any more questions.

^35aAnd Jesus began to say, as He ^btaught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the ¹Christ is the ^cson of David?

³⁶“David himself said ¹in the Holy Spirit,

‘^aThe ²Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at My right hand,

Until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet.” ’

³⁷“David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; so in what sense is He his son?” And ^athe large crowd ¹enjoyed listening to Him.