Mark 12:28b-34
Gospel according to Mark 12:28b-34
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?" Jesus replied, "The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, 'He is One and there is no other than he.' And 'to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself' is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Reflections
Today’s Gospel begins with a scribe, a religious leader, asking Jesus a profound question. It was the following: “Which is the first of all the Commandments?” One must understand that, at the time, the Jews followed over six hundred commandments that directed their worship, their communities, and their personal lives. Each one of the six hundred and thirteen commandments was to be practiced equally to all the others - as such, while certain commandments were often emphasized, one could not state that one commandment was the greatest, and to assert that certain ones should be observed while others should not would have been blasphemous. This gives some insight into the hostility that Jesus faced ever since He arrived in Jerusalem. Since His arrival, the religious leaders were constantly plotting to trap Him with difficult questions, hoping that He would make an unsound claim. Out of the wickedness of their hearts, they were unable to connect with Jesus’ message, and incapable of welcoming Him into their hearts.
Jesus quickly responds, stating that the First Commandment was to love God with all one’s heart. He follows up with the Second Commandment, which is to love one’s neighbor as one loves oneself. Surprisingly, while one command comes before the other, Jesus emphasizes a strong connection between these two commandments. He teaches that the love of God is the basis of all things, and thus, by loving God, we may bring ourselves closer to His Kingdom. Furthermore, Jesus teaches that by loving others, we also share our love with God. As such, one cannot claim that it is enough to only know and praise God. Likewise, without giving our hearts to the love of God, we cannot know how to best love our neighbors. Jesus also teaches that we do not get to pick and choose who we treat with love; God commands us to love Him, to love ourselves, and to love others. And from this basis, all of the other Commandments find their place.
This passage provides an example of the fulfilling nature of Jesus’ mission: Rather than abolishing the law of Moses, Jesus came to complete it. By His Passion and Sacrifice, Jesus paid the ultimate ransom for our sins. Thus, He removed the need for burnt offerings and sacrifices - He is there to intercede for us in the face of God. With the New Covenant, Jesus teaches that love for the world, and for God, is much better for ourselves and others than simple ritualistic worship. Unlike many encounters we have already seen throughout the Gospel, the scribe was able to grasp the spiritual meaning of Jesus’ mission. He understood that the Commandments are so much more than a set of rules that must be blindly followed and ticked off from a list. Rather, Jesus teaches that every commandment has a deeper spiritual meaning, through which a facet of the nature of God is revealed. This spiritual meaning can only be discerned through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus recognizes the wisdom of the scribe: “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” It is unclear, though, if this served as a compliment or as a warning. In a way, this encounter is very similar to the encounter with the rich young man, which we contemplated three weeks ago. While the scribe was able to grasp Jesus’ message, it is unknown if he was able to live his life according to Jesus’ teachings. This is an example of the Kingdom of God as a narrow doorway that is hard to enter. Without giving up our pride, our attachment to earthly possessions and to social status and power, it is “easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle” (Mark 10:25) than for a person to enter into the Kingdom of God. Like the scribe, the rich man was not far from the Kingdom of God, but he was not in it. The rich man was unable to do what Jesus asked of him. We are left wondering what may have happened after this encounter: Was the scribe able to find communion with God?
The end of this passage marks a turning point of Jesus’ mission in Jerusalem. It is the first time that a religious leader, who began the conversation with some amount of hostility, was able to truly grasp the profound meaning of His ministry. After Jesus’ encounter with the scribe, “No one dared to ask him any more questions.” This final question, and response, sets the direction of the conversation and marks the opening of the door to further dialogue with Jesus.