You may not feel like the most organized person in the world, but you have priorities, right? Haven’t we all tried to give our lives some focus by dedicating our calendars and wallets to those issues that matter to us? Even if we’re not clear about them, we assume that some things are more important than others and should be treated as such.
Whether we act on this principle or not, we tend to agree that our lives would be more productive if we set and stuck with our priorities.
But Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, exposes a hidden problem with this way of thinking. In his blog, he writes,
“When the word priority came into the English language in the 1400s, it was singular. Think for a moment: What did it mean? The answer is the prior or very first thing. What’s interesting is it stayed singular for the next 500 years. It wasn’t until the 1900s that we came up with the pluralized term and started using the word priorities. But what exactly does the word mean? Can there be multiple very first things?”
While McKeown’s critique is rational, we understand what we mean by the term. When we speak of our priorities, we’re referring to those items that take precedence over others within a given field. For example, we can set priorities for work, family, health, spiritual growth, education, and so on. I listed five categories, so if I had one priority for each, I’d have five priorities. I would then have the responsibility to set my schedule so that I gave each one adequate attention.
But McKeown’s last question remains. Within a particular sphere, how can we have more than one priority? It doesn’t seem logical; there can be only one number one!
Let’s see how Jesus addressed the subject.
Matthew 22 records several discussions (debates/arguments!) between Jesus and the religious leaders of Israel. These authorities were attempting to trap Him by posing what they considered to be “unanswerable” questions. Jesus had little trouble providing answers and digging deeper into the topics than the leaders wanted.
One of the Pharisees, trained as he was in God’s laws, wanted to know which of the 613 commandments ranked number one. In other words, he asked Jesus which ordinance had priority.
“Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ 37Jesus replied: ‘“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’” – Matthew 22:34-40
It appears that Jesus answered the question with no hesitation; the greatest commandment is loving God (a quote from Deuteronomy 6:5). This assertion reinforces McKeown’s claim that there can be only one priority.
As we know, Christ added a second commandment about loving others (a quote from Leviticus 19:18). Again, this ranking supports the notion of a single priority because the commandment from Leviticus takes second place. Loving God wins the competition!
But Jesus didn’t stop there; He explained that the totality of what what we call the Old Testament hangs on these two commandments. Scripture depends on both; not only on the instruction to love God. If the commandment to love one’s neighbor is secondary, it sure has major significance!
And the apostle Paul backs this up. He goes so far as to state that this commandment fulfills the entire law of God.
“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not covet,’ and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 10Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” – Romans 13:8-10
“For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” – Galatians 5:14
I assume that Paul was aware of Jesus’ statement that loving God was the greatest commandment. But even so, the apostle maintains that showing loving concern to others fulfills the purpose of the law of the Lord.
Why is this? It’s because we can’t love God without loving people.
“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” – 1 John 4:20
While we can declare that loving God holds priority, the only way we can meet that obligation is by loving others. We have at least two priorities in the life of the Spirit.
Rather than see them as competing against each other, Jesus wants us to view them as complementary. We show our love for God by loving those whom He loves. And we are motivated to love others because we want to please the One who loves us (see 1 John 4:19).
Priorities–they’re not only possible, they’re definitive. Loving God and loving others distill the essence of our new lives in Christ!
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