“And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” ²⁹ Jesus answered, “The most important 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 and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” ³² And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. ³³ And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”³⁴ And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.” Mark 12:28-34                      

In the conversation between the scribe and Jesus, the scribe asks Jesus, “Which commandment is the first of all?”  Jesus answers with Deuteronomy 6:4 – 5, what is commonly known as the Shema – the most important piece of scripture for the Jew: ⁴ Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. ⁵ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

The Shema is prayed in every worship service in the synagogue. It is so important because it defines Judaism as worshipping “The One G-d” – in the context of the pagans who have many, many G-ds. This aspect of Judaism, “Hear O Israel: the Lord our G-d, the Lord is one” was an important and defining aspect of Judaism – in the context of their surroundings. G-d, the One G-d, the only G-d, had chosen this people to be a special, priestly nation. Jesus, then, makes the Shema and the commandment to “Love your G-d”, and as importantly to “Love your Neighbor” to be the central defining commandments for Christianity.

It was a defining moment in the history of people that Israel claimed to worship One G-d. And it is this One G-d who continues to love us beyond all measure, through the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is not three gods, but One G-d whom we know in our lives as creator, redeemer, and sustainer. It is beyond our understanding, yet we can experience the love of G-d so personally and intimately each and every day.

Pastor Dave