Jesus Said This Is the Greatest Commandment. Are Christians Missing It?

What should matter most to Christians: defeating sin, building an influential ministry or pursuing a deeply personal relationship with Jesus?

Loving Jesus — not building a successful ministry or attempting to conquer sin through willpower — must be the highest priority in every Christian’s life, according to evangelist Bryce Crawford.

In a recent video, Crawford examined Matthew 22, in which a lawyer asked Jesus to identify the greatest commandment in the law. The question was intended to trap Him, but Jesus responded by quoting Scripture.

“You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole soul, and with all your mind,” Crawford quoted. “This is the great and first commandment.”

Crawford explained that Jesus’ answer summarized God’s law because wholehearted love for the Lord leads believers into obedience.

“If you love the Lord your God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, you will naturally obey his commands,” Crawford said.

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Christians often focus on resisting individual sins through their own strength. Crawford said he has found that approach ineffective in his own life.

“But when I focus my gaze on Jesus, and I’m loving him with every ounce of my being, and he is my all,” Crawford said, obedience follows naturally.

That relationship must also take priority over Christian platforms, public influence and ministry success.

“The greatest commandment isn’t building a big ministry because that’s what’s going to please God’s heart,” Crawford said. “The whole premise and purpose of the gospel is intimate love and relationship with the Lord.”

Crawford urged believers to examine whether entertainment, money, success, social media, addiction or sin has captured more of their affection than Jesus. What receives a person’s time and attention will ultimately influence the direction of his or her life.

Jesus then connected love for God with the second greatest commandment: loving one’s neighbor as oneself.

“When you see yourself the way that God sees you, you realize he sees everyone else the same way,” Crawford said.

Citing 1 Corinthians 13, Crawford concluded that spiritual gifts, faith and ministry accomplishments are empty without love. Fully surrendering to Jesus and loving Him above everything else, he said, remains the foundation of the Christian life.

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.