Mark 12:28-44

Long before Jesus was born as a human being, God led the Israelites out of slavery into a land where they would begin a new life. He'd chosen the Israelites to be his representatives, to reflect him to the world, and to tell others about him. (That story is in Exodus and Numbers.)

God gave his people some very important words that we often call The 10 Commandments. Moses, the leader of the Israelites, said this about God’s words:

“Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up” (Deuteronomy 6:4-7).

Jesus repeated these very same words, probably learned from his earthly parents, many generations later.

Religion often gets a bad name. But Jesus was a very religious man in the best sense. He loved God fully. He worshipped God faithfully. He studied and knew Scripture. He taught Scripture. He obeyed God’s laws. His actions always matched his words. And he wants his followers to do the same.