Obey

February 21, 2010

BELONG
Catch up, go over announcements, pray.

GROW
Read Mark 12: 28
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

(You can also read this story in Matthew 22:34-40, and for an added twist read Luke 10:25-37.)

A few years back a saying was made popular in the church- “What Would Jesus Do?”
One of the things we can be sure that Jesus DID was to recite the “Shema” (Hebrew for “hear”) every morning and evening, as this was the custom of all Jews.

Read the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:1-9.
What does the introduction (v. 1-3) teach us? Why is this material important? Discuss what it means to teach, to fear and to obey these commands.

How does the second part (v. 4-9) add to our understanding? How literally do you think we should take these instructions?

Read Leviticus 19:18.
This is the other quote from Jesus. Taken together, Jesus says this two-fold command captures the whole of the law/commands.

Let’s start with setting our reference point: what is love? How do we experience, understand, and share love? (Don’t feel the need to come up with a definition, as this is a discussion.)

First, What does it mean, or what difference would it make, for you to start loving yourself as God loves you? How might you view yourself differently? How would you treat yourself differently? What changes can you make to better love yourself, as God loves you?

Second, now apply all this to your neighbors. First, who are your neighbors? What are their names? How can you actually love them? (Again- discussion, and sharing stories, is the most helpful way to grasp and apply this command.)

Third, now about loving God. How have you experienced the love of God? How do you express your love for God with your heart, soul, mind and strength? How can you better show your love for God with all your being?

Scott McKnight calls this “The Jesus Creed” and commends the discipline of reciting this “creed’ at the beginning and end of every day, and as many times in between as we are reminded. Pray for one another to live the Jesus Creed.