The Greatest Commandment

Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, "Which is the first commandment of all?" Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." So the scribe said to him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." But after that no one dared question him.

- Mark 12:28-34

In yesterday's reading, we read about heavenly life, life in the resurrection, in which Jesus said that we become "like angels in heaven." It was interesting to me that there are many implications to this statement, and I quoted from the reading we have today (and linked a previous commentary). As we go through the texts, we come to understand links between readings that we might not possibly catch otherwise. But the understanding of life in the kingdom of heaven, and the earthly life we desire in faith, is very important. We pray, in the prayer that Jesus has given us, "Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." These commandments teach us something about that desire, that heavenly kingdom we desire to see even in this world, and the purpose and history of our religion.

We continue with the conversation from yesterday's reading, between the Sadducees and Jesus. Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, "Which is the first commandment of all?" The scribes, my study bible notes, "are a professional class of experts in the Mosaic Law. While most of them were hostile to Jesus, this scribe seems to be a sincere inquirer." For the whole orientation of worship, it is important to understand the context of the law and the commandments, and the endless debates that would take place regarding these issues.

Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Jesus quotes two passages in response to the scribe's question. The first is Deut. 6:4, 5. This is the greatest Jewish confession of faith. It is called the shema, which means "hear" -- the first word of the confession. The second commandment that Jesus quotes is from Lev. 19:18. So Jesus has combined two passages from different holy books. My study bible notes that Jesus is "combining what is already in the Old Testament to create a new understanding: love of neighbor is an expression of love of God."

So the scribe said to him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." My study bible notes, "The scribe's insight has penetrated beyond the Pharisees' obsession with outward forms. He understands that the condition of the heart is central to righteousness." We understand the scribe's sincerity, and his willingness to come to terms with Jesus and his teachings. He has met Christ at the understanding of the first great commandment, and the depth of love for God, and the relationship among the community of God's creation this confers that we read in the second.

Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." But after that no one dared question him. This seems to me a statement tinged with irony. Jesus has sent out the apostles on their earliest mission, teaching them to say, "The kingdom of God has come near." This is also a phrase Jesus used in his own teaching and preaching. In speaking to the scribe, Jesus seems to say something the scribe may not understand, that Christ himself is standing right in his presence. My study bible notes, "Only God can say who is, and who is not, far from His Kingdom."

I'd like to take the statements in today's reading and combine them with what we read in yesterday's, about life in the resurrection, and how we change nature and relationship in the resurrection. We're still in Easter Week, sometimes called "Bright Week," and it's still an important topic for what we need to think about at this time of the year. Again, as we pray, "Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven," we must consider what that means -- and especially what it means in terms of our responsibility for our willingness to help to bring this about. These two great commandments are the foundation of that hope for God's kingdom in this world, for "Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." They are the foundation of our understanding, and the power of our faith, to help to bring this about. As yesterday we were told that we become "like the angels in heaven" in the resurrection, so we should try to understand the nature of relationship conveyed in that nature. The angels have one primary, central relationship, and that is to God. They love and serve God - and in so doing, they serve all of God's creatures, they love and serve us. And so, these two great commandments would seem to prioritize the same levels of relationship and relatedness. The first great commandment teaches us to love God with all our heart and soul, mind and strength. And the second gives us the relationship to one another: we love our neighbor as ourselves. The central pillar of life is that central place of God in our hearts, and our relationship to one another naturally follows, falls into place given this centrality of love of God. It sets us into right-relatedness, righteousness. This is God's will, and God's nature, love. So what we understand of the resurrection and its life from Christ's teaching to the Sadducees in yesterday's reading, is repeated here for us to understand in a different context. This is the relationship He desires for all of us, how God's will may be done on earth as it is in heaven. Indeed, even the understanding of the communion of saints conveys the same meanings expressed in these two quotations: our relationship with one another is as a family in the spiritual reality of these two commandments.

So, what does it mean to you to keep love of God central in your life, as in the first great commandment? If you put Christ-centeredness first at the top of your list of priorities in life, does it set out for you a right-relatedness to the rest of the people in your life? How does this central, great commandment teach you to treat others around yourself, or how to perceive them? Often we think that love means everyone and everything is okay -- that if we wish for self-indulgence in all things, then to be a true neighbor is to be the same to all. But I don't think God's love teaches us self-indulgence. Indeed, it does the opposite: it teaches us the value of service. Love asks always for healing and growth, for what is best for us. And in love for our neighbor as ourselves, this is what we wish -- and what we pray for -- for one another. The first great commandment sets out a series of values and orientation that leads us properly to the second. Do you need insight with your problems or difficulties? Pray for insight for all. Do you need to understand how to change? Pray for this understanding for all. Do you need to help yourself to heal? Pray for healing for all. Do you need strength? Do you sometimes need to learn to say no? Do you need to forgive and move on? Do you wish to be a less selfish, small person and to grow instead? Do you need discernment? Do you need more discipline? Do you need to be kind to yourself, and greater self-acceptance as God sees you? Remember that love is of God, and God is love. This centrality of the first great commandment sets us in a right place in terms of our relationship to one another. Remember the communion of saints, and how it is conferred through the first great commandment: our right-relatedness to God sets us down in a place where we must understand how that confers relatedness to one another. What do you need? What needs healing? What is love, what is best for you? As Christ may answer that question for you, so you may come to understand what love may mean - for our neighbor as for ourselves. And as we grow in this understanding, so we may come to grow in the power of our prayer - and love - for others.