13/07/2026
THE DAILY FOUNTAIN
DAILY DEVOTIONAL OF THE
CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)
DATE: MONDAY, JULY 13, 2026
TOPIC: THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT
READ: 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.[a]
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.’[b]
31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[c] 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.
THE MESSAGE:
Jesus responded to the question of the scribes on the issue of the first and greatest commandment. He gave two commandments that summarised all the Mosaic laws in the scriptures (Exodus 20), to point out believers' relationships with God and with others. Jesus said the first of all the commandments is: “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: and the second is like, you shall love your neighbour as yourself" (Mark 12:30-31). Love is a powerful emotion that builds bonds and encourages positivity between two or more individuals. Love is more than burnt offerings and sacrifices (Mark 12:33c). Hence, Jesus concluded that whoever loves is not far from the kingdom of God.
In 1 John 4:7-8, the Bible says: “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loves is born of God, and knows God. He that loves not, knows not God; for God is love." Verse 11 says: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another:" As believers, the evidence of our salvation is our total love for God and unconditional love for others. When we love, we have peace of mind, joy, progress, access to divine blessings and above all, we will have hope of eternal Life with God.
PRAYER: Father; let the seed of love for You and my neighbour grow in my heart and show in my relationships always, in Jesus' Name. Amen!