And the Greatest of these is . . .

LOVE!

Our 'all-age' service this morning will seek to communicate two great truths: Unity and Love.

Deuteronomy 6.1-9
“Now this is the commandment – the laws and the rules - that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long.
Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and wear them to your foreheads as reminders.
You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Mark 12: 28-34
One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realised that Jesus had answered well, so he asked,
“Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this:
‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.
And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’
The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbour as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”
Realising how much the man understood, Jesus said to him,
“You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
I can't think of two more exciting passages and two amazingly important issues as love and the unity of the Holy trinity and the implications for us as part of the body of Christ and in loving our neighbours. Praise God for His Word, living and ascended and written - May they touch us by the power of His Holy Spirit that we might live in His love. Hallelujah - Christ is Risen!