Loving God

There’s a strong Jewish tradition of learning the Shema, taken from Deuteronomy 6:4-5: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” The word shema is the first Hebrew word, which means hear.

When Jesus was asked which commandment is the most important, he responded by reciting the Shema, but you’ll notice that he changes it slightly by adding “mind”: “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” (Mark 12:30). This is mainly because Jesus was citing a tradition of the Old Testament that is slightly different from what we read.

But the important element for us is not the individual parts of ourselves (heart, soul, etc.), but the whole. Jesus quotes the Shema because it is the most important commandment. We are to love God with our entire being. As Jesus teaches, it’s our top priority!

Blessings,
Pastor Paul Cook