Rightly Ordered Love: Joy Rooted in God

“What does God really want from me?” That question sits at the center of Mark 12:28–34 and at the heart of Advent joy. A sincere scribe asks for the greatest commandment—not another rule to add to the stack, but the center that gives shape to everything else. Jesus answers with breathtaking simplicity: Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. Not two disconnected ideas, but one reality flowing in two directions. This is the axis of the spiritual life. Joy rises where love is rightly ordered.

Joy isn’t the reward for perfect obedience; it’s the fuel of obedience. Many of us are exhausted because we try to obey God without enjoying God. Our loves drift out of order—comfort over communion, screens over Scripture, convenience over compassion, control over obedience—and our joy thins. Like a branch grafted into a living vine, we don’t strain our way into fruitfulness; we receive life from the Spirit as love becomes the sap that nourishes everything.

The scribe agrees with Jesus and receives a surprising word: “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” Near is not in. Agreement is not allegiance. Admiration without surrender keeps us at the door. The kingdom is entered by repentance and faith, by stepping out of respectability and into obedience. Jesus is not condemning; He is inviting—out of disordered love and into joy.

We can’t keep these commandments in our own strength. But there is One who did. At the cross, Jesus loved the Father with all His heart—“Not my will, but Yours be done”—and loved us to the end. He forgives our failure and pours His love into our hearts by the Spirit. That is why Advent is such good news: Love came down so joy could rise up.

When God’s love roots itself in us, our lives reorder. We know God in His Word. We love God in worship. We love His people in community. We serve gladly. We live on mission. Joy doesn’t only change us inwardly; it moves us outwardly—toward neighbors, toward the lonely, toward disciple-making. Disciples know God, love God, love others, and follow Jesus by repentance and faith—and then help others do the same. Turn from whatever you love more than God. Let Jesus reorder your loves. Where He becomes your first love, your joy will overflow, your love will endure, and your life will make Him look as satisfying as He truly is.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Joy begins with rightly ordered love. Joy isn’t the prize for flawless performance; it’s the fruit of loving God first with your whole self. When comfort, control, convenience, or screens take the top spot, joy inevitably thins. Let love for God set the order, and love for people becomes natural rather than forced.
• 2. Move from agreement to obedience. Like the scribe, we can grasp truth and still remain outside the kingdom. Near is not in; entry comes through repentance and faith that reshape real choices. Allegiance shows up where it costs us—forgiving, serving, opening our schedules, and yielding control.
• 3. Enjoy God to sustain obedience. Duty can manage behavior for a while; delight endures when no one is watching. Enjoying God in Scripture, worship, prayer, and community feeds the heart so love becomes overflow, not grind. Think vine and branch: the Spirit’s life supplies what effort cannot.
• 4. Jesus fulfilled love for us. Our divided hearts could never climb to this standard; Christ loved the Father to the end and loved us unto death. In His resurrection He pours His love into our hearts, enabling what He commands. The gospel doesn’t lower the bar; it gives us His life to clear it.
• 5. Joy propels disciple-making mission. Real joy refuses to stay private; it moves toward neighbors, the lonely, and the lost. Love for God naturally wants others to taste that delight, turning the Great Commandments into the Great Commission. Mission is not another task; it’s the overflow of satisfied hearts.

1. What question did the scribe ask Jesus, and why does the sermon say this question is more than a legal one?
2. Which two commandments does Jesus quote, and how does He describe the way they relate to each other?
3. How does Jesus break down “love God” into four dimensions in this passage? Give one concrete example for each dimension (heart, soul, mind, strength).
4. How does the scribe respond, and what exactly does Jesus say back to him?

1. What does the statement “There is no other commandment greater than these” imply about the function of the rest of the law? How should that shape how a believer reads specific rules or commands?
2. What is the sermon identifying as the difference between being “not far” from the kingdom and actually entering it? What role do repentance and faith play in that distinction?
3. The sermon uses the image of a branch grafted into a vine to describe obedience. What does this metaphor imply about the relationship between joy, love, and effort in Christian growth?
4. The sermon says joy is the fuel of obedience rather than the reward for perfect obedience. How does that reframe motives for spiritual practices like Bible reading, prayer, worship, and serving?

1. Identify one concrete thing you currently love more than God (examples from the sermon: comfort, screens, convenience, control). What specific action will you take this week to reduce that love’s control over your time or attention?
2. The sermon asks us to “enjoy God” so obedience is sustained. Choose one practice (Scripture, worship, prayer, community) to pursue this week with the explicit aim of delighting in God, not just checking a box. What exactly will you do, when, and for how long?
3. The scribe agreed with Jesus but hadn’t entered the kingdom. Is there an area where you agree with Jesus but haven’t surrendered to Him? Name it and identify one concrete step toward repentance and faith you will take this week (for example: confess to a friend, stop a specific behavior, or take a first step toward reconciliation).
4. Joy should move outward. Name one neighbor, coworker, or lonely person God has placed near you. What is one specific, time-bound action you will take in the next seven days to show God’s love to that person?
5. Serving and mission require cost. What is one part of your weekly schedule you can open up this month to serve someone else? Be specific about the time you will free and how you will use it.
6. The sermon says love reorders our loves. Pick two ordinary habits (phone use, TV, leisure routines, work hours). How will you rearrange them this week so that worship and loving others have first claim on your time?
7. Pray and reflect: how would you describe Jesus as your “first love” right now? If it’s hard to call Him that, what is one honest prayer or confession you will bring to God this week and one small action that will point you toward Him?