August 12 2023

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. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart.

From Deuteronomy 6:4-13, NRSV

The opening words from today’s Old Testament reading form the words of the Shema – the prayer that stands at the heart of the Jewish faith. These words called the Jewish people to loyalty and love of one God at a time when belief in multiple gods was still common. This love was to be shown in every aspect of a person’s being. To this day, these words are recited every morning and evening by observant Jews. They also have physical reminders of these words which are inscribed onto the doorways of houses and sometimes written on small pieces of parchment and placed into small boxes (tefillin) worn during prayer. These words were very familiar to Jesus who quoted them during his time of temptation in the desert and when asked to say what was the most important commandment. In establishing that the love of God was the most important commandment, Jesus also attached equal importance to the love of neighbour. These two commandments together form the core of Christian belief.