In today’s first reading from Deuteronomy Moses tells us what God wants of us, namely, reverence and love:
“And now, Israel, what does the LORD, your God, ask of you but to fear the LORD, your God, and follow his ways exactly, to love and serve the LORD, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD which I enjoin on you today for your own good?”
What Scripture calls “fear of the Lord” is not a cowering fear but a sense of awe and overwhelming wonder, so, reverence. Today’s reading also tells us that God has taken the initiative and loved us first and then asked us to love him in return.
“Think! The heavens, even the highest heavens, belong to the LORD, your God, as well as the earth and everything on it. Yet in his love for your fathers the LORD was so attached to them as to choose you, their descendants…”
God first chose the Israelites and set them apart as his chosen people. The prophet Isaiah calls these chose people, his servants, to bring the light of God’s love to all people:
“It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6).
Jesus in turn renews and expands this vision of Isaiah. Now all people and all nations are invited and called to be servants of the Lord and members of the chosen people of God:
“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20).
Jesus’ call and command echoes the command of Moses to love God with our whole heart and soul. Jesus also teaches and emphases that God the Father takes the initiative and loves us first:
“I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35).
Image: “Moses” by Lawrence OP is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.