In Mark 12:28-34 A scribe asked Jesus, “Which is the first commandment of all?” (v.28). Jesus answered, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment” (vs.29-30).
What is of interest and the reason for this lesson is the word “first” which both the scribe and Jesus used (v.28, and v.29) and the word “One” that referenced the Lord (vs.29, 32). As for “first”, the NKJV Bible if you look closely, you’ll see the [superscript j and k] next to the word “first” in both verses. • The footnote attributes the word first to foremost • The actual Greek word is [Πρώτη] which carries the meaning first in rank, influence, honor; chief; principal” [Thayer’s]. • Note how most of the other translations translate “first”: NIV; NLT; ESV; BSB; AB; CSB; HCTB; CEV; GNT; ISV; NET Bible all translated it as; “The most important one”
After hearing the Lord’s answer, “the scribe said to Him, Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.to the question” (v.28). The idea that there is only One God, and that the most important “first” command is to love Him with every cell in our body caused me to think of what it really means to make God first, most important in every aspect of our lives, in everything that we say, every decision and everything we do. God just must be our everything.
This all caused me to remember the record of a woman who was commanded to make a cake for the servant of God first, and then for herself and her son. Open your Bibles and turn to 1 Kings chapter 17.
• Now to verse 8 we see what happened when Elijah obeyed God and went into the Zarephath. In the record we read of a woman who barely had enough flour and oil to feed herself and her son. Probably very hungry, and in comes a stranger who asked “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand” (v.11).
• What is amazing is her faith and obedience. Because she believed Elijah. (v.13-14) when she was told “make me a small cake from it first”, and afterward you can make some for yourself and your son—she did just that. And her faith and obedience were rewarded with a miracle—a true blessing.
Brethren, first I hope you’ll see as I do that when she made a cake first for this stranger she must have known that the leftovers would have been less than sufficient to feed herself and her son.
Second, by providing for this “man of God” who was, a total stranger, she was in all essence putting her faith before her, and her son’s own needs. Unknowingly, her faith resulted in her making a cake for the Lord, first. What does it mean to “make a cake for the Lord, first”? Simply put it means whatever you do, eating, working, sharing, making choices and judgements—you must always put God and His business before our own.