Text: And one of the scribes came and having heard reasoning (arguing) together,
answered them well, asked him, Which is the first Commandment of all? (most important), and Jesus
him, the first of all commandments is, " Hear, 0 Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord." (Deut. 6:4). And thou shall (Must) love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: This is the first commandment.
(Deu 6:5).
And the second is like, namely this, Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. There is
none other commandment greater than these,
and the scribe said unto him, Well Master, thou has 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 they neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. and when Jesus saw that he had answered discreetly, he said unto him, " Thou are not to far from the kingdom of God. and no man after that dared ask him any more questions.
In the "GATES OF PRAYER (1975) "New Union Prayer Book , section for Meditations and readings describes some thoughts from this prayer book. on our relationship with God, as " Rav Anan" said : the gates of prayer are never barred, as it is written (Deut.4.7): For what great nation has a God so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what is calling upon him, if not prayer, as it is said (Isaiah 65:24:) before they call, I will reply, while they are still speaking, I will have heard. Prayer is speech, but not 'Mere speech. The Word is not to be despised as we hear from our text. Those words have power over the soul. " Hear O Israel! is a cry for affirmation, a reminder of glory and martyrdom, and the essence of the Jewish people's history. For the Christian our Bible is the history of our faith, the Birth, the walk to the Cross, the sacrifice that the Father asked, his Jewish Son, to give His life for the world, that all may be saved, who believe?
These words, laden with tears and joys of centuries, have the power to bring us into the very presence of God. Not easily, not all at once, not every time, but somehow, some times, the worshiper who offers up his heart and mind without reservation will know that he has touched the Throne of Glory.
Back to the story: The scripture today centers around matters of the "Heart.." In the Biblical view the heart is not the place of sentiment and emotion, but will and decision. A question from the heart is: "How does God intend for us to live?"
Moses would answer with these central words: " The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. God alone brings meaning and purpose to our lives, everything flows out of the Mysterious, merciful presence of the "Holy One." Take these words to heart, Moses says. Tie them around your hands, write them on your doors, teach them to your children, speak them every morning.
When you remember these words, they will become part of you, giving you a center and framing your life. The time for Jesus death was approaching quickly.
Near his final hour, Jesus wanted God's love to be made clear through his teaching and example.
In Marks gospel, chapter 12; Jesus is speaking in parables, being tested by the Pharisees and Sadducees, who were trying to get him to trip up, so as to bring him before "the Sanhedrin"; tiw3821o have him condemned to finally get rid of him. The Sadducees tried to trip him up on the question of the resurrection; and the tribute to Caesar. But he warned the Christians of their false teachings. In our highly permissive society, we are self-centered and so self-preoccupied, the call to know him and obey him cuts across our culture and cynical conduct. it is not normal nor natural for most of us to love "God". othrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
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