8.16-What is the main deal about Israel?

8.16-

There is much understanding of this word.
Israel.

There according to Jesus a focus for Israel and "spiritual Israel", God's adopted additional children.

This is who spiritual Israel is.  A group of people who have two great commitments.

One. Love God with all your heart.

All your soul.

All your mind.

All your strength.

Two. Love your neighbor as yourself.

These are more important than religious offerings.

Watch out for long robed elite, academic, religious and political power people.  Among them are many false prophets who do not care about the people or the law but about themselves.

Notice those who live a simple life and walk by faith in God each day depending on God to take care of them day by day.  These are the examples to follow rather than the elite, long robe people.

Mark 12

²⁸ One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the ^[q]foremost of all?” ²⁹ Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; ³⁰ and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” ³² The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that He is One, and there is no one else besides Him; ³³ and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” ³⁴ When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.
³⁵ And Jesus began to say, as He taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that ^[r]the Christ is the son of David? ³⁶ David himself said ^[s]in the Holy Spirit,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet.”’

³⁷ David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; so in what sense is He his son?” And the large crowd ^[t]enjoyed listening to Him.

³⁸ In His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, ³⁹ and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, ⁴⁰ who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.”

The Widow’s Mite

⁴¹ And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting ^[u]money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. ⁴² A poor widow came and put in two ^[v]small copper coins, which amount to a ^[w]cent. ⁴³ Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all ^[x]the contributors to the treasury; ⁴⁴ for they all put in out of their ^[y]surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, ^[z]all she had to live on.”