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Greg Smith

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Known by Our Love (#2147)

2024/08/25 By Greg

Today I wrapped up an eight week long summer sermon series called The Jesus Priorities, which is inspired by a book with the same name by Christopher Maricle. Today’s priority was love.

Rev. Dr. Greg Smith and Dr. Susan Smith (photo by Cory Hachmeister)

Sermon

My message, “The Jesus Creed” was based on Mark 12:28-31.

Love

I preached loosely from this manuscript. You can watch a recording of the livestream here (the Gospel lesson begins at 22:04 and the sermon begins at 23:06).

Excerpt

Harvey Cox’s imaginative story shows us what outsiders SEE while my exercise tells us what insiders SAY.  Both help us understand Christianity.

These draw us close to what is at the heart of our religion.  This morning’s Gospel reading completes that journey. 

Jesus is asked an impossible question: which of the commandments is most important?  . . . Which commandment?  Isn’t the obvious answer that they are all equally important?

Most of us learned the 10 Commandments quite well during confirmation.  Can you recall them now?  Most Americans cannot. In fact, a few years ago a survey found about twice as many people could list all the ingredients in a Big Mac as could name all ten of the commandments

But when Jesus was asked to name the greatest commandment of all, did his mind race to that list of 10 or a much longer list? The Old Testament actually contains a total of 613 different laws. 

My own thinking about how Jesus heard the question has been greatly influenced by Scot McKnight, a contemporary expert on Jesus and the author of a book that with the same title as this sermon: The Jesus Creed.

McKnight suggests that our attempts to think about how Jesus might have heard this question need to begin with the realization that Jesus was an observant Jew.  Since childhood he had done what all Jews around him did: he recited the Shema several times a day every day.  Shema is the Hebrew word for hear, which is the first word . . .


Series

I preached The Jesus Priorities at Advent Lutheran Church in July and August 2024. The other messages are

  • Humility (Be An Imitator aka Be Like Jesus)
  • Children Are Precious (Valuing Children & Youth)
  • Seek God’s Will (The Best Sermon Ever)
  • Treasure in Heaven (Is Bigger Always Better and Will More Ever Satisfy?)
  • Spread the Word (Called to Live Highly Relational Lives)
  • Prayer (Prayer – Just Do It!)
  • Healing (Preaching Healing)

Primary Sidebar

Greg Smith

Greg is a follower of the Way of Jesus who strives to make the world a better place for all people. Currently, he serves as Chief Executive Officer of White Rock Center of Hope and as Interim Senior Pastor of Advent Lutheran Church. He has served ten congregations, taught religion to undergraduates for eight years, and helped three organizations provide quality healthcare to underserved populations. (Read More)

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