Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Command to Love God
6 These are the commands, ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements], and laws that the Lord your God told me to teach you to obey in the land you are crossing the Jordan River to ·take [possess]. 2 You, your children, and your grandchildren must ·respect [fear] the Lord your God ·as long as you live [L all the days of your life]. Obey all his ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements] and commands I give you so that ·you will live a long time [L your days will be long]. 3 Listen, Israel, and carefully obey these laws. Then all will go well for you, and you will become a great nation in a ·fertile land [L land flowing with milk and honey; Ex. 3:8], just as the Lord, the God of your ·ancestors [fathers], has promised you [Gen. 12:1–3; 15:17–20].
4 ·Listen, people of [T Hear, O] Israel! The Lord our God is the ·only [or one] Lord. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 Always ·remember [L keep in your heart] these commands I give you today. 7 ·Teach [Recite; Repeat] them to your children, and talk about them when you sit at home and walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 ·Write them down and tie [L Bind] them to your hands as a sign. Tie them ·on your forehead [L between your eyes] ·to remind you [as an emblem/headband/frontlet], 9 and write them on ·your doors [L the lintels/doorposts of your house] and gates.
The Word of God
119 ·Happy [Blessed] are those ·who live pure lives [L whose way is blameless],
who follow the Lord’s ·teachings [instructions; law].
2 Happy are those who keep his ·rules [decrees; testimonies],
who ·try to obey [L seek] him with their whole heart.
3 They don’t do what is wrong;
they follow his ways.
4 Lord, you ·gave [commanded] your ·orders [precepts]
to be obeyed completely.
5 ·I wish I [L O that my ways] were more ·loyal [steadfast; established; set]
in obeying your ·demands [statutes; ordinances; requirements].
6 Then I would not be ashamed
·when I study [staring/gazing at] your commands.
7 When I learned that your ·laws [judgments] are fair,
I ·praised [thanked] you with an ·honest [upright] heart.
8 I will obey your ·demands [statutes; ordinances; requirements],
so please don’t ever ·leave [abandon; forsake] me.
The New Agreement
11 But when Christ came as the high priest of the good things ·we now have[a] [L that have come], he entered the greater and more perfect ·tent [T tabernacle]. It is not made ·by humans [L with hands] and does not belong to this ·world [creation; created order]. 12 Christ entered the ·Most Holy Place [sanctuary; L holy things; T Holy of Holies] ·only once—and for all time [L once for all; 7:27; 10:10]. ·He did not take with him [L …not by means of] the blood of goats and calves. ·His sacrifice was [L …but by means of] his own blood, and by it he ·set us free from sin forever [L obtained/secured eternal redemption/liberation]. 13 The blood of goats and bulls [Lev. 16:14–16] and the ashes of a ·cow [young cow; heifer; Num. 19:2, 17–18] are sprinkled on the people who are [C ritually] unclean, and this ·makes their bodies clean again [restores their body to ritual purity]. 14 How much more is done by the blood of Christ. He offered himself through the eternal ·Spirit [or spirit; C most likely the Holy Spirit, though possibly Christ’s own eternal spirit, or as a “spiritual” and eternal sacrifice] as a ·perfect [unblemished] sacrifice to God. His blood [C signifying his sacrificial death] will make our consciences ·pure [cleansed] from ·useless acts [or acts that lead to death; L dead works; 6:1] so we may ·serve [worship; offer priestly service for] the living God.
The Most Important Command(A)
28 One of the ·teachers of the law [scribes] came and heard Jesus arguing with the Sadducees. Seeing that Jesus gave good answers to their questions, he asked Jesus, “Which of the commands is most important?”
29 Jesus answered, “The most important command is this: ‘·Listen, people of Israel [T Hear, O Israel]! The Lord our God is ·the only Lord [one Lord]. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength’ [Deut. 6:4–5; C these are the opening words of the Shema, the prayer said by pious Jews twice a day]. 31 The second command is this: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself’ [Lev. 19:18]. There are no commands ·more important [greater] than these.”
32 The man answered, “·That was a good answer [Well said!], Teacher. You were right when you said God is ·the only Lord [one] and there is no other God besides him. 33 One must love God with all his heart, all his mind, and all his strength. And one must love his neighbor as he loves himself. These commands are more important than all the ·animals [burnt offerings] and sacrifices we offer to God [1 Sam. 15:22; Hos. 6:6; Mic. 6:6–8].”
34 When Jesus saw that the man answered him ·wisely [thoughtfully; with insight], Jesus said to him, “You are close to the kingdom of God.” And after that, no one ·was brave enough [dared] to ask Jesus any more questions.
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