The Shema.

Sermon Title: The Shema.

Scripture Text: Mark 12:28-34

Illustration:

I was teaching the Senior Youth. I told them I could say the 10 commandment without saying them without memorization. Can you?

In our text today, as usual, they were trying to trip Jesus up to entrap Him. Asking questions where there were traditionally two or more “correct” answers for them to pick from. They would constantly watch what he did, what he said, how he explained Scripture. Jesus met them head on in this hostile environment. While in one of these discussions with the Pharisees and Sadducees a Scribe that was listening asked an important question of Jesus. Jesus gave all of them something more to chew on. The teacher helped Jesus to give them even more than they asked.

Jesus starts off with the traditional Shema (29-31). But I want you to hear what the teacher added, so listen carefully,. The LORD is happy to him have say it. This teacher knew what he was talking about.

NOW HEAR THE READING OF GOD’S WORD:

Mark 12:28-34 NLT

The Most Important Commandment

28 One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

-(Jesus used a singular verb “is” to pull two commandments together which made them one commandment.)

32 The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. 33 And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”

34 Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.

THE WORD OF GOD

FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD

THANKS BE TO GOD.

The Shema changed some though the history of the Jewish people. However, Verses 29 - 31 is the “Shema” that Jesus taught.

The 10 commandments look like this: the first 4 talk about our relationship with God. The next 6 talk about our relationship with our fellow human beings. This is the Law and this is the Shema.

The teacher in Verse 33(c) goes like this: This (knowledge of the Shema) is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.

If we do offerings and sacrifices in the wrong way, because of the wrong reason and because of the wrong understanding of what is being said our deficiency is on our own backs and nobody else.

The Shema is very important but just doing burnt offerings and sacrifices required is nothing if we don't understand what is being taught us today.

Jeremiah 6:20; What do I care about incense from Sheba or sweet calamus from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please me.

---Someone puts on a show of loving God but don’t do as they have been directed. (So don’t show up at the Holy of Holies wanting forgiveness.)

This Kingdom of God that Jesus told the Teacher he was close to receiving was this:

---1John 2:1-2; "[Christ] himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but for the whole world".

-----(propitiation: He died in our place.)

-Hebrews 10:14; Jesus offered his body and his blood, as the final sin offering for all people for all eternity. "For by one offering he has perfected forever those being sanctified".

---He gave His life freely, he paid the cost with His life, so we could be Justified. (Set Free from sin.)

---((Justified (declared innocent), Sanctified (Growing in Christ) and Glorified (living in Heaven) all because of what Jesus did for us.))

Summation:

We should all learn the Shema and engross ourselves in it. If we do that then our offerings and sacrifices will be honored by our God and Savior.