Some Are Not Far from the Kingdom

Note from today’s Bible reading: Mark 11-12

On several occasions, the enemies of Jesus challenged Him and tried to trap Him in His words so that they could accuse Him. A scribe heard Jesus successfully answer challenges regarding taxes and the resurrection and came to Him with a question: “What commandment is the foremost of all?” (Mark 12:28).

In Jesus’ answer, He told this man that the “foremost” commandment was to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:29-30). He then added that the “second” is to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).

The scribe recognized the truthfulness of Jesus’ answer, even explaining Jesus’ point in his own words (Mark 12:32-33). When Jesus heard this man’s good response, He said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34). This man was not all the way there yet, but he was on the right track. Before one can enter the Lord’s kingdom, he needs to recognize who God is and have a love for Him and for others that will lead to faithful service. Just as this scribe was “not far from the kingdom,” the same could be said of many today.

So remember that some are not far from the kingdom. Let us be looking for those who understand these fundamental principles. Simply understanding this does not automatically make them Christians, but it does mean they have a greater potential of becoming such.