Mark 12:28-34
28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; 33 and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ —this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.
"You are not far from the Kingdom of God."
Today's Gospel invites us to look for the substantial foundation of our life.
In verse 28, the word "them" refers to the groups who came to trap Jesus. Mark 12:13-27 mentions three groups: the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians.
13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”
But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
And they were amazed at him.
18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”
24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”
The Pharisees and Herodians use a politico-financial argument asking about taxes to trap Him, while the Sadducees use a social and legal issue about marriage. Jesus silences the three groups with His wise responses.
The scribes belong to the Pharisees. Their legal role is to examine the teachers and preachers, checking if they teach without corrupting or amending the Scriptures. Away from his crowd, the scribe asks about the substantial core of religious life. "What is the first commandment of all?" (v. 28).
Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:4-5, but adds "with all your mind." Furthermore, He quotes Leviticus 19:18, "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord."
The Scribe asks for one commandment. Jesus quotes two. Jesus refers to the TWO first commandments making them ONE. Love God through your neighbor. Love is the basic concept, but it wouldn't be true without implementing that through real acts.
Today's Gospel invites us to:
Go to Jesus asking what's most important beyond the legal, financial and social realities we experience daily;
Have the courage to demonstrate our individual identity, even if it is not conformed with the collectivity where we live;
Look for a Church that teaches without corruption or amendments, accepting and respecting the Word of God faithfully and fully; and
Take some time of deep silence to understand and absorb Jesus' message to us today.