Mark 12:32-34
And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth:for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.
I can remember getting directions before and thinking we were so close to something only to find out that we were miles away from our destination. On the flip side of that, I've asked directions before thinking we were miles away from somewhere and finding out we were just around the corner from it.
Imagine this man and the question he had for Jesus. He asked what the greatest commandment was? He wanted to know about true life and the source of truth. He wanted directions and found out he was so close. Notice what Jesus said about the man's response of keeping all these things. He said, "Thou art not far". "Not far", not there, but not far. You are so close but yet not there just yet.
You see, keeping commandments are for those who are His servants or are enlisted in service. Following Him is an act of trust and love. We are saved by His Grace alone. There is nothing, nothing good that we can do. No greatest commandment can get us in right standing with God. Only the blood Jesus shed for our lives gives us a righteous standing before our God.
This man was so close, so close that the Son of God was standing right in front of him. The Savior of the world was looking him in the eyes. How close are you? You are closer than you think.
