Mark 12:28-34

Mark 12:28-34

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.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I seek to know your will. I promise throughout the day to go to your Son and eagerly listen to his words so that I may know how to act. Pour out your Spirit into my heart to guide my actions.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Third Test: In the Gospel of Mark, the third dispute (Mark 12:28-34) is not explicitly called a test as it is in the Gospel of Matthew (22:35). The scribe seems to approach Jesus in sincerity and asks him a question about the 613 commandments contained in the Law of Moses (the Torah). One of the things the scribes, the scholars of the Law, often sought for in the Law was an overarching principle or first commandment that summarized and grounded all the other commandments (Healy, The Gospel of Mark, 246). When asked by the scribe what he thought about this question, Jesus identified the commandment to love God with our entire being as the first and greatest commandment. He quoted Deuteronomy 6:4-5. This was the Israelite confession of faith, known as the Shema (“Hear”). “In fidelity to Deut 6:7 devout Jews recite the Shema every morning and evening. Jewish homes usually have a mezuzah, a little box containing the Shema inscribed on parchment, affixed to the doorpost (see Deut 6:9). Orthodox Jewish men (and sometimes women) wear tefillin (or phylacteries), leather boxes containing the Shema, on their head and hand during prayer (Deut 6:8)” (Healy, The Gospel of Mark, 247). The Shema affirms that the Lord (YHWH) alone is God. As the creator of all things, God deserves all that we are in return.

2. Loving God and Loving Neighbor: Jesus does not stop with love for God as the first commandment, but announces the second greatest commandment and quotes Leviticus 19:18: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” To love is to will the good for someone. We are called to love others and will what is good for them just as we seek what is truly good for ourselves. Love of God and love of our brothers and sisters go together. As the First Letter of John teaches, we are liars if we say we love God but do not love our fellow human beings (1 John 4:20). The scribe saw that Jesus, the New Solomon, passed the third test. Jesus imparted true wisdom about the meaning of our earthly life (give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s) in the first test and the nature of our life after death (God is the God of the living) in the second test. He now teaches in the third test how love is at the center and foundation of everything.

3. Loving with an Undivided Heart: Jesus teaches us today that the Christian life is not primarily or principally about external obedience to rules, but about a total gift of ourselves to God in love. The commandment to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength challenges us to examine whether God truly occupies the center of our lives. It is possible to practice religion outwardly while allowing our hearts to become divided by selfish ambition, distraction, resentment, or attachment to worldly things. Yet authentic love for God transforms every aspect of life — our thoughts, decisions, relationships, work, and use of time. At the same time, Jesus reminds us that love for God must overflow into concrete love for our neighbor, especially through patience, forgiveness, generosity, and concern for those who suffer. The saints show us that holiness consists above all in this twofold love. Each day, then, we should ask the Lord for the grace to love him more completely and to see his image in every person we encounter. The more we remain rooted in the love of God, the more our lives become a living reflection of the greatest commandment.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I do not want to be near your Kingdom. I want to be fully within the Kingdom. I want you to dwell and reign in me. I desire to be your apostle and bring you and your message of merciful love to the ends of the earth.

Living the Word of God: How am I loving God and loving my neighbor? List out the concrete ways you have loved God this past week. What moments did I spend with God in prayer? When did I reject temptation and choose to love? List out the concrete ways you have loved your neighbor this past week. Did I spend quality time with my spouse and family? Did I serve the poor in some way? Did I practice any corporal or spiritual works of mercy?