You are not far from the kingdom of God

 

 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 is 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 

 

Yesterday we read that, as Jesus is now in Jerusalem (the setting is what we call Holy Week), they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words.  When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth.  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?  Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?"  But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Bring Me a denarius that I may see it."  so they brought it.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  And they marveled at Him. Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.  And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?  For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.  But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.  You are therefore greatly mistaken."

 

 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 is 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.  In Christ's response to one of the scribes, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:4-5, which is the greatest Jewish confession of faith.  This is called the shema' (meaning "hear," which is the first word of the confession).  As the second, He quotes from Leviticus 19:18.  Thus, my study Bible remarks, Jesus combines what is already present in the Old Testament to create a new understanding for us:  love of neighbor is an expression of love of God.  

 

It's beautiful that we have this concept from Jesus regarding the two greatest commandments in the Law, and how they frame the gospel message.  Jesus has put it in different words in other readings, especially when He spoke to the disciples about receiving even a little child as if they are receiving Him -- and not only Him, but also the Father who sent Him (see this reading and commentary).  In that teaching, Jesus taught us to see others as icons; in this instance He was teaching the disciples (meaning all of those who would follow as well) that in His Church they are to see all as icons of both Himself and of the Father.  Today's reading and Christ's teaching asks us in a sense to love as if we saw others as icons of ourselves.  That is, we're not to love others the same way we love ourselves, but rather the meaning here is to love others as we would like to be loved ourselves.  There's an important -- possibly even immense -- world of difference in these two things.  If I may copy a note from my study Bible for my readers, it notes as follows:  "Rather, we are called to love our neighbor as being of the same nature as we ourselves are, as being created in God’s image and likeness just as we are. As the Fathers teach, we find our true self in loving our neighbor."  It's important to understand, also, that Jesus gives this as the second command, but the first is to love the LORD our God "with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength."  For if we are honest, it is in learning to love God in the ways described here that we learn how to love in the first place, for God is love.  None of us is born perfectly knowing how to love.  Some might think that love means indulgence, never discipline or punishment.  But, for example, to love a child is also to teach that child discipline, to take proper care of itself and its health.  If we're honest with ourselves, neither are we perfect -- and to love us as we need to be loved, as we would prefer to be loved, would be to lovingly let us know when we're making mistakes, and going down the wrong path.  If this were not so, Christ would have quite a different ministry than the one we know from the Gospels, in which He was unafraid to speak out against what was evil.  In John 7:7, He says, "The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil."  Unfortunately this also implies that there are all kinds of things that sound good, or may be done with good intentions, but which have evil effects.  Not without reason is there a popular saying, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."  If we recall one most striking example, when St. Peter proposed that Jesus should never be killed, Jesus' response to him was harsh indeed:  "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men" (see Matthew 16:21-23).  Certainly all of us can sympathize with St. Peter's call that Jesus should not be killed, and yet we know Jesus' striking response, meant to convey precisely this notion that not all that sounds good is good, but to follow the will of God is the true good.  In this we come fully around to the wisdom of Christ's teachings here, and which commandment comes first and which comes second.  For without God's love and guidance, we don't truly know the good, and we can't truly know what love is and how to live it.  We need that discernment to understand the difference between what God wants of us, and what we, on the other hand, may think is good, or sounds good to us.  Let us pray for the discernment to follow Christ's way, to love the LORD our God as fully and deeply and completely as the promise in this passage and confession of faith states, and in so doing learn to truly love one's neighbor as oneself.   For Jesus says Himself, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (John 7:13-14).  He is the narrow gate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You are not far from the kingdom of God

 

 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 is 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 

 

Yesterday we read that the religious leaders in Jerusalem sent to Jesus some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words.  When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth.  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?  Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?"  But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Bring Me a denarius that I may see it."  So they brought it.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  And they marveled at Him. Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.  And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?  For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.  But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.  You are therefore greatly mistaken."

 

 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 is 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.  My study Bible says that, in response to one of the scribes, Jesus is quoting Deuteronomy 6:4-5, which is the greatest Jewish confession of faith.  It is called the shema' (meaning "hear," from the first word of the confession).  He then quotes from Leviticus 19:18, thereby combining what is already present in the Old Testament to create a new understanding.  My study Bible says this new understanding declares love of neighbor to be an expression of love of God.    The Pharisees, it says, had found 613 commandments in the Scriptures and they constantly debated which was central, thus this question appears to be something with which they'd always be preoccupied.  Jesus summarizes the Law with these two.  My study Bible makes clear that the latter commandment means that we're called to love others as of the same nature as ourselves, created in God's image and likeness as are we.  It says that as the Fathers and Mothers of the Church have taught, we find our true selves in loving our neighbor. 

How can we find our true selves in loving our neighbor?  One thing is clear, if we take a look at Christ's parable of judgment, the one of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46), we read that the supreme rule is one of active compassion.  It is in this sense that we can see, defined for us, what it looks like when we love neighbor as ourselves.  In that parable Jesus says that the sheep on His right are the ones who made acts of compassion for Himself.   When He's asked when these acts occurred, He says, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."  The same is true in the negative for the goats, who failed to do those acts, to whom Jesus says, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me." Of course, in Mark's Gospel, we've already read Jesus' teaching to the disciples, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  This comes in response to the disciples' disputing who would be the greatest among them. See Mark 9:33-37.  Each of these examples given to us teaches us how Jesus views the inter-relatedness implicit in coupling these two laws of Moses together.  In terms of how we are to conduct ourselves in His Church, we're to couple these two things together in our own conduct:  that we first love God with all our mind, soul, heart, and strength.  There is no place in us exempt from this devotion, this love of God we're asked for.  But that is extended also to the love of neighbor as oneself -- we're not to be endlessly disputing who is greater.  Instead we have a deeply loving relationship to God that will claim everything within ourselves, and within that depth we know that others are in the same category, that we are all equally called to that love and share in this endeavor.  It's there we find ourselves, and it's in that place that genuine love will teach us who we are.  We are called to live our lives with that understanding, that we're all called to the same faith and to the love that faith asks of us.  Such a perspective gives us one in which we're blessed to help others along the way and to share in the bounty of that love God calls us to in the first place.  Clearly the scribe in today's reading comes to understand Christ and to recognize His teaching.  Thus, Jesus tells him, in a sense welcoming him to the life He offers:  "You are not far from the kingdom of God."

 

 

 

You are not far from the kingdom of God

 

 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 

 

Currently, we are reading through the events of what is known to us as Holy Week, the final week of Jesus' earthly life.  Yesterday we read that the ruling Council sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words.  When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth.  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?  Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?"  But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Bring Me a denarius that I may see it."  So they brought it.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  And they marveled at Him. Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.  And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?  For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.  But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.  You are therefore greatly mistaken."

 

  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.  Here Jesus responds to one of the scribes, who seems to be asking his question in earnest.  Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6:4-5, which is the greatest Jewish confession of faith, called the shema' (which means "hear," the first word of the confession).  But Jesus doesn't stop there.  To complete His answer, He adds Leviticus 19:18.  In this way, as my study Bible notes, Jesus combines what is already present in the Old Testament to create a new understanding:  love of neighbor is an expression of love of God.  

When Jesus answers this scribe (or lawyer) in Matthew's Gospel, He caps off His giving of these commandments with the statement, "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:40).  In Luke's Gospel, Jesus turns the question back upon the one who asks, in what we might call a Socratic manner, and asks the lawyer what his reading of the law is.  The lawyer then responds with these two commands.  But not content with that, the lawyer asks, "And who is my neighbor?"  To this question, Jesus responds by giving the parable of the Good Samaritan, an illustration of what it is to be a neighbor. (St. Luke's Gospel is the only place where we find the parable of the Good Samaritan; see Luke 10:25-37).  From these slightly varied versions of this story, we get a full feel for where Jesus is headed in His teaching, for what is important here is the fullness of the Law in the sense of the full communication of its aims.  For at the heart of these two commandments put together is a teaching on love, inseparable from the compassion of the Good Samaritan.  "What does it mean to be a neighbor?" or "Who is my neighbor?" become key questions because at the heart of Christ's teachings is the heart of God who longs to be and to create the very center of our community here in the world.  God, who is love, in this sense defines what it is to be a neighbor, or how we know who is a neighbor, and how to be a neighbor.  For in this sense, we cannot truly participate in community without God -- who is love -- at the center of community and indwelling that community through each of us.  The aim of the Law and the Prophets, therefore, is the establishment of true community, and in this way we know our Lord longs to be with us and among us in the center of that community, and teaching love as we learn also to be a neighbor and to participate in community God's way.  It's quite easy to think that we can have this all worked out in our own sense of what love is, or what compassion is.  It's simple to conjecture that we all know how we'd like others to treat us, so we can just figure this all out by ourselves.  But then comes a day when one finds that indulgence of whatever our particular desire is does not actually constitute love, or perhaps we see that for others who are stuck in the throes of addiction, or other self-destructive behaviors.  Comes the day as well when we learn that to say "no" to something is the only way to preserve our own well-being, and perhaps that of the community at large.  Love becomes not the simple four-letter-word we tend to think of it as being.  Love then becomes something complicated, something requiring wisdom, and a wisdom that can come only from the true Source of love who truly knows what is best for us and for community.  Then we get into a far more complicated area indeed, as love ultimately becomes recognized as a mystery, that can only be learned through experience with God who desires to lead us to great union with that mystery, with God who is love.  So let us ponder Christ's answer, for in it is the secret of what we are doing in the world, and the secret of the wisdom and knowledge God would have us learn through lifetimes of struggle to learn and to grow through our own deficiencies and unknowing, and even wrong-knowing.  Let us consider God's love, for in that love God welcomes us to become truly neighbors, among those who can love with all their heart.  For this is what it means to dwell in the Kingdom, and even to see God (Matthew 5:8).

 

 

Which is the great commandment in the law?

 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.  Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"  Jesus said to him, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it:  'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, "What do you think about the Christ?  Whose Son is He?"  They said to Him, "The Son of David."  He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying:

'The LORD said to my Lord,
"Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool"'?

"If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his Son?"  And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.

- Matthew 22:34-46

Yesterday, we read that after being questioned by the Pharisees regarding payment of taxes to Rome, the same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were with us seven brothers.  The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother.  Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be?  For they all had her."  Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.  For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.  But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  God is the not the God of the dead, but of the living."  And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.  Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"  Jesus said to him, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it:  'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."  My study bible explains that the Pharisees had found 613 commandments in the Scriptures and debated about which one was central.  Jesus gives us the first and the second.  These form a summary of all the Law and the Prophets, the central tenets.  While this lawyer (an expert in the Law) had come to test Jesus, St. Mark's Gospel tells us He was converted by Jesus' answer (see Mark 12:28-34).    My study bible also points out to us that the second command is written:  "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  It says that this can more clearly be stated, "as being yourself."  It's similar to the "golden rule" that Jesus teaches -- "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Matthew 7:12).  The commandment is not to love your neighbor "as you love yourself" -- the standard is not how much we love ourselves.  The point is that we are to love "neighbor" as being of the same nature as ourselves, created in God's image and likeness as we are.  My study bible says, "As the Fathers teach, we find our true self in loving our neighbor."  Jesus commands, we note, are active.  His greatest teaching on this Law is found in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37), in which Jesus preaches being a neighbor, an active choice.

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, "What do you think about the Christ?  Whose Son is He?"  They said to Him, "The Son of David."  He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying:   'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool"'?  If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his Son?"  And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.   The question leads to one answer:  that Christ is God incarnate.  The supposition or expectation was that the Messiah would be only human.   Being a Son of David fits with this understanding.  But David, as king of Israel, would not address a person who was only his "son" as "Lord."  King David would only address God as "Lord."  In this excerpt from Psalm 110, David refers to the Messiah as "Lord."  The conclusion is that the Messiah is a descendant of David according to the flesh, but also truly divine, sharing Lordship with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  The Pharisees do not answer because they see the implications, yet are afraid to state the conclusion.

Jesus isn't afraid to ask some questions of His own.  They are hard and penetrating questions, leading to the heart of the controversy within the temple.  The leadership began by demanding to know how Jesus had the authority to do the things He was doing:  to cleanse the temple as He did on His first day after His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.  Where does His authority come from?  When Jesus asks His own questions, the answers are too difficult for these leaders to state out loud.  Jesus asked, "The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  They could not answer for fear of the implications of their response.  Here the question has the same effect:  they cannot answer for fear of the implications of their response.  Telling the truth and asking truthful questions is not an offense against neighbor, today's reading seems to teach us.  Jesus challenges the authority of these men not by challenging the authority of their positions, but by calling them out in terms of their failure to exercise their authority properly.  The first and greatest commandment, to love God with all one's heart, and all one's soul, and all one's mind is not what they are doing.  Their positions come first; that is, their sense of their own authority.  But Jesus asserts correctly -- even according to these experts -- that the first and greatest commandment places God above every other consideration, so that it is God who is the "marker" for setting everything else, including our love of neighbor, in its proper place.  Putting God first automatically teaches us that we are to love neighbor as ourselves; that is, as another child or creation of God.  Within that context, everything else flows, including correction.  To love is not just to "coddle" but rather wanting what is truly best for someone, the highest good.  That's the direction that truly loving God first above all things takes us into with regard to love of neighbor.  Putting God first in truth would also help these men to acknowledge the power and spirit working in Jesus, as it was in John the Baptist.  The truth isn't something we should ever shun away from.  Whatever we need to do to make room for spiritual truth in our lives is important, appropriate, worthwhile.  It sets us on the good path of love of God and love of neighbor.  Jesus importantly teaches us that to live this second commandment is to be a neighbor.  Who needs your help?  What would you want others to do for you?  How do we truly honor a commitment of total love for God?

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touch him, and said, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

- Mark 1:29-45

On Saturday, we read that after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the Gospel."  And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When H had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are - the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  Jesus' first act of ministry, we read on Saturday, after having chosen disciples, was to begin to preach in the synagogue.  In response, immediately there was reaction from an unclean spirit within a man, and Jesus rebuked the spirit.  All of this is couched within a reality of healing; Jesus' power works against the unclean spirits, and against the ailments of mankind.  Healing and casting out demons are framed within the same power of Christ, which is ultimately a truly healing power -- it is setting things aright, liberating human beings from the things that cripple, afflict, ail, and cause pain.  The healings go from the spectacular in public to the needed in private.  My study bible notes regarding Jesus' forbidding of the demons to speak:  Our Lord's refusal to fully disclose His identity as Messiah is foreseen by Isaiah, who wrote of the Messiah as Suffering Servant  (see Isaiah 42:1-4).  There are various reasons for secrecy, including the growing hostility of the religious leadership, the people's lack of understanding of the Messiah as earthly, political leader, and Jesus' desire to evoke genuine faith not based simply on signs or miracles.  The Servant, as referenced from Isaiah, refers first to Christ, my study bible tells us, but also by extension to all who follow Him.

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  My study bible points out that Jesus sets an example for all of us on what the spiritual life truly is.  Although He's God incarnate, He prays continually, often finding a solitary place to be free from distraction, despite the needs of the multitude who search and clamor for Him.  The Lord's ministry must come from His communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and it flows to people in their needs.  His praying in the morning teaches that prayer comes first in the sense that above all else is our commitment to God, then we will be equipped to serve others.  This is the perfect example of the two greatest commandments, first and second, as cited by Jesus:  love of God, and love of neighbor.

And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  My study bible cites Ambrose of Milan, who has pointed out that "new creation began where old creation ceased" as Jesus preached and healed on the Sabbaths.

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touch him, and said, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.  This is an astounding healing, as leprosy was considered a kind of punishment for sin.  Leviticus 13 and 14 contain the biblical law regarding leprosy, and Deuteronomy 24:8 describes the purification of lepers and leprous houses, which was a duty given to priests.  As lepers were considered "unclean" they weren't permitted to live in community or to worship in synagogues or the temple.  Jesus touches this leper to heal him, although touching the unclean was forbidden (Leviticus 7:21).  My study bible says that in addition to Jesus' compassion, it shows that He is not subject to the Law but over it:  "to the clean, nothing is unclean."  We note Jesus' "immediate" fame (as noted on Saturday, the word immediate appears frequently in Mark's Gospel); this is a ministry that has extraordinary effects.

It's important to understand how Jesus' ministry works.  Healing is the character of the whole of the ministry, because healing itself is the reality of God.  Whatever we need to be or to do, whatever we need in terms of correction and setting-aright, is all in the reality of God.  This is the characteristic of the Kingdom, to set aright -- and to liberate us from what ails us.  The evil one is the author of afflictions.   In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus is asked by a lawyer, an expert in the Law, what is the greatest commandment.  Jesus gives two:  the first is Deuteronomy 6:5 -- "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength."  And the second is Leviticus 19:18 -- "You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord."   It's important that we understand that Jesus gives those commandments together, but also in order, first and second.  As in all of His actions and commandments, Jesus does not simply teach things to people, He lives out the teachings that He gives to the rest of us.  In today's reading, we see these commandments, in the proper order, exemplified:  His first priority is relationship with the Father, and out of this flows love of neighbor.  And we might add, proper love of neighbor.  Jesus does not fill every request for sign or miracle that is given Him in the Gospels; the leadership will demand a sign, even Herod Antipas will demand a sign from Him.  Jesus' priority, on the contrary, is faith.  He lives by faith, He acts by faith, He teaches us faith.  Faith is a voluntary love and trust of God, and thus we come back to this first commandment.  As Liberator or Redeemer, Jesus is the one who brings in the greater forces of the Kingdom, to prevail against the evil one, the one who causes us pain and afflicts us.  He liberates people from demons and unclean spirits, He liberates people from affliction and pain.  The very character of this Kingdom is healing on all levels; whether we are talking about repentance to heal the soul or we are talking about the healing of the body, all of it is connected.  We find real health in God, and an inseparability of body and soul and spirit.  Christ's ministry exemplifies the "holistic" idea of life, that nothing is separate from the life of God, and so nothing in our lives should remain separate from our life in faith, as one of participation in this Kingdom.  This is the restoration after the Fall.  Let us take careful note of such a reality.  We may not find that our "afflictions" all  look the same as the ones in the Gospels.  In a modern "first world" country, leprosy isn't a threat.  But other ailments are all around us like plagues that afflict and burden and enslave, particularly problems of anxiety or depression, going hand in hand with addictions and all kinds of other ailments.  Healthcare may be first rate for some, but it doesn't mean the world is freed from all diseases.  On the contrary, if we consider violence and instability a threat and affliction, we can see what is happening all around the world.  It becomes clear  how necessary our faith is, how extremely powerful is this healing alternative to the picture we see around us.  Let us remember that in Christ's redeeming power is healing itself for all things, beginning with the heart and soul of all beings.  Let us be like Him, and live out our faith, with first things first, and second things second, His way.  We can't truly see what it is to heal ourselves or the world without this direction, in the first place.  Loving one's neighbor isn't merely responding with a "yes" to all requests, nor is it seeking immediate solutions to all problems.  God teaches us what love and healing really is, and how to share that power with others.