17th May 2010 [b]

Mark 12:28-34 – The Greatest Commandment.

• One of the problems we as Christians have created for ourselves in a simplicity when we think about sin and commandments. In our desire to explain concisely that all sin separates us from God we have implied that all sins are equal.
• That is not true.
• In basic Jewish thought there are three main categories of sin plus light and heavy commandments.
• Rabbis were often asked by their students for the crib notes, [cliff notes usa, York notes uk] – a basic summary. Not because they necessarily wanted to reduce the time to learn something but because these short summaries gave the rabbi an opportunity to sum up the key points.
• One student asked both Shammai and Hillel to teach him the law whilst stood on one leg. Shammai told him to go away; Hillel quoted the negative version of the golden rule.
• Students for example would ask their rabbis for a short summary of the daily prayer “teach us how to pray” – obviously they knew how to pray this was a way of asking “teach us the most important things to pray about” or “help us know how to pray in God’s will”.
• In the same way the teacher of the law asks this question I think genuinely to find out from Jesus what He believes is the most important basis of the rest of the law.
• Jesus says that God is one. In this sense it means – God is unique – there is no other.
• No-where in scripture does the P’shat say God is three in one. However; there are many remezim which are implied. Jesus invoked remez almost 50 times and so we have to understand the remez [hints] were are valid and authorative way of communicating truth.
• In Deuteronomy 6:4 that Jesus quotes there are two: the triple reference to God and the use of the word echad with often means multiple unity [ie ‘one’ cluster of grapes. instead of yachid which nearly always excludes multiple oneness.
• Genesis 1:26 – God uses the pleural “Let us make man in our own image”.
• Isaiah 48:16 – uses three ways of saying God; “there am I; and now Adonai God and His Spirit has sent me”.
• Lastly note: Jesus adds “with all your understanding” which is not included in the Hebrew of Deut 6:5. Without understanding of course, there can be no Kavanah.
• Praying for understanding.