As a schoolteacher of English for numerous years, it was easy to see how one of the favorite selections of literature studied was a text of thrill, of intrigue, of passion, and of partial truth.  The Crucible by Arthur Miller was a 1957 drama that led my eleventh graders to better understand an early 1692 America, a place where fear of the unknown ruled the people’s hearts (reminding us how the days change, the years change, and even the setting changes, but the questions remain the same). This particular secular text speaks of the forgotten Commandment.

Within this junior English text, one particular scene becomes useful today as we consider a passage from the Bible.  That’s right. There is a biblical life story where a young man confronts Jesus with questions about life and death (reminding us how days change, years change, but the questions remain the same).
This particular Scripture speaks of the Greatest Commandment.

When we consider these words, our minds rightfully go toward the biblical truth Jesus speaks to the scribes.

“The foremost is “Hear, O ISRAEL!  THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.”
The second is this, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”  There is no other commandment greater than these.”

(Mark 12: 29-31)

We often ask:

• How do the words of Jesus connect to me? &
• How should I apply God’s Word to my life (so much so that the Word of God is more than just words I hear, read, and see)? &
• How do the words of Jesus connect to junior English class and our study of an early piece of literature?

These great questions—–Jesus knows ALL the answers to ALL our questions. I believe HE Does but do not believe me but believe the Word of God. 

One day Jesus was met by a young man who had accumulated much within his brief life, and in studying about this young man’s encounter with Jesus, we may focus upon the young man’s wealth and what Jesus teaches His disciples about God’s Salvation and how everything is possible with God.
But let’s also consider the words Jesus speaks to the rich, young man to find another TRUTH of God.

“And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?”
And He said to him [Jesus said to this man], “Why are you asking Me about what is good?  There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.
Then he said to Him [the rich man asked Jesus], “Which ones?”

(Matthew 19:  16-18a)

Jesus knew the man’s heart.
Jesus knows your heart.
Jesus knows my heart.
Jesus knows the commandment we struggle most to keep.
Jesus does.
Jesus knew how this rich, young man’s faith was tested. &

Jesus knows how our faith is tested, how the enemy tempts us, trying to get us to rationalize within our hearts—How keeping SOME of God’s commandments is BETTER than not keeping any at all. Clearly, that’s just “stinky thinking on our part.”

It is a TRUTH—We Must Keep All of God’s Commandments. We Do NOT Get to Pick & Choose Which Ones We Keep.

How effectively are we able to put up our shield of faith to protect us from the enemy’s desire to make us fall?
May we carry our shield of faith before us, ever ready, and may we be wary of the devil’s fiery darts coming toward us, aimed directly at our weaknesses.

May we be wary of our weaknesses.

In the English classroom (as we studied Miller’s text), my juniors read the drama scene where one character struggled to recite the Ten Commandments, forgetting the one commandment he was currently NOT KEEPING. 

• Let us consider what captivates us.
• Let us consider which commandment we struggle to keep.
• Let us consider what we place first, what we love MOST—-Within our heart, mind, soul, and strength.   We may say, “It is God who is first and foremost,” but are we speaking the truth?

Jesus knew the heart of the rich young man (Matthew 19: 16–26).
Jesus knew the hearts of the scribes when they asked Him about the greatest commandment (Mark 12: 28-34).

Jesus knows the hearts of the Lost, the Unbelievers & Jesus knows the hearts of His Children, the Believers.

The days change, the years change, but the questions remain the same!

THE QUESTIONS:

Who is This JESUS?  &
What am I going to do with God’s offer of salvation?  &

Once I accept God’s Amazing Grace, His Salvation, and once we belong to God, once Jesus Christ is our Savior and LORD, THE QUESTION becomes: What have I placed in my life IN FRONT of MY LORD?