Daily Readings - Sun Oct 31 2021
Deuteronomy
2so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.3Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you.4Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.5Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.6These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.
Hebrews
23Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office;24but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.25Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.26Such a high priest meets our need--one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.27Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.28For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
Mark
28One 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."32"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.33To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."34When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
Sermon
The readings today remind us of the heart of our faith: love. In Deuteronomy, Moses calls the people to love God with all their heart, soul, and strength, and to pass this love on to future generations. This command is not just about rules but about relationship—a deep, personal bond with the one true God. In the Gospel, Jesus reaffirms this when a scribe asks him about the greatest commandment. Jesus quotes the Shema from Deuteronomy and adds the command to love our neighbor as ourselves, emphasizing that these two loves are inseparable. The scribe recognizes the truth in Jesus’ words, and Jesus commends him, saying he is close to the kingdom of God.
The second reading from Hebrews helps us understand how Jesus makes this love possible. As our eternal high priest, Jesus offers a once-for-all sacrifice that frees us from sin and enables us to approach God confidently. His priesthood is perfect because he is holy, innocent, and undefiled, and his sacrifice is sufficient for all time. This means we don’t have to earn God’s love; it is already given to us in Jesus. Our response, then, is to live out of this love, letting it shape every part of our lives.
So how do we apply this to our daily lives? First, we must remember that love is the foundation of everything. Loving God and neighbor is not just a feeling but a choice we make every day. It means putting God first, even when it’s hard, and treating others with the same kindness and compassion we desire for ourselves. Second, we must recognize that this love is only possible because of Jesus. His sacrifice frees us to live without fear and to trust in his mercy. Finally, we are called to share this love with others, just as Moses shared it with the Israelites and just as Jesus shared it with the scribe. May we live today in the reckless, self-giving love of God, knowing that this is the heart of the kingdom.