Mark 12:28-34

Hosea 14:2-10

Psalm 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17

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 love you above all things. I desire to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I can only do that with your grace. Give me the gift of your grace and pour your divine love into my heart.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Testing the Lamb of God: The episode in the Gospel took place between Palm Sunday and Passover. There is a very deep meaning to the testing of Jesus during those days. The lambs to be slaughtered for Passover were brought into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the first day of the week. And they were examined throughout the week to make sure they were unblemished and worthy of being sacrificed. The same thing happened to Jesus during Holy Week. Like the lambs, he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Jesus was then put to the test throughout the week. The scribes, the Sadducees, and the Pharisees all tested him and could not find any fault in him. The high priest did not declare Jesus’ innocence. But Pontius Pilate did so three times: “I find no guilt in him” (John 18:38; 19:4, 6)

2. Not Far from the Kingdom: The scribe tested Jesus, the Lamb of God, with the “yoke” question about the Law. Every scholar of the Law had an opinion on which of the 613 laws of Moses was the most important, the one “yoke” on which all the other laws depended. Jesus answered that all the other laws depend on the two laws of love: first, love of God above all things (Deuteronomy 6:4); second, love of neighbor (Leviticus 19:18). Elsewhere, Jesus teaches: “My yoke is easy and my burden light” (Matthew 11:30). This means that Jesus not only gives laws about love but also gives the power to fulfill the New Law of Charity. The scribe was pleased by Jesus’ answer and added that love of God and neighbor was worth more than the holocausts (burnt offerings) and sacrifices offered in the Temple. In response, Jesus told the scribe that he was “not far from the Kingdom.” The scribe had not yet entered into the Kingdom through faith in Jesus and Baptism, but he was at the doorstep of the Kingdom.

3. Spiritual Flourishing: In the First Reading, the prophet Hosea evokes many images of flowers, wheat, blossoming vines, olive trees, cedar trees, and cypresses. God promises to heal the faithlessness (defection) of Israel and transform the hearts of his people. The one God heals with his love will blossom like the lily and have deep roots like the Lebanon cedar. The root system of a cedar tree can reach down over 25 feet and spread out 20 feet. The splendor of the person healed by God will be like the olive tree, which can live thousands of years. The image of the verdant cypress tree symbolizes a spiritual life that endures through all seasons – spring, summer, fall, and winter. All of this flourishing in the spiritual life is first caused by God: “Because of me you bear fruit.” Only when we are united to the vine of Christ and pruned by God will we bear abundant fruit for the Kingdom of God (John 15:1-8). 

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I desire with all my heart and soul to live according to the two commandments of love. Enlighten my mind so that I know how I should love both God and neighbor and strengthen my heart to give my life for others.

Living the Word of God: How am I living the commandment to love God above all things? Is there anything I prioritize above God? How am I living the commandment to love my brothers and sisters? Do I put myself before them or am I seeking to serve them?