"The Greatest Commandment"
The Holy Gospel comes to us this morning from Mark the 12th chapter, beginning at the 28th verse.
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?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 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.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 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’; 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.” 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.
Grace be unto you and peace, from God our Father and from our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Recite these words of the Greatest Commandment with me. ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 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.’ Every faithful Jew recites them morning and evening. This is the Shema. Its ubiquitous use attests to the importance that the followers of the Lord place on these words, and Christ Himself declares them the most important commandment.
It doesn’t take long, while reading the gospel of Mark, to realize that the kingdom of God is very different from the nations and societies of the world. When reflecting on the kingdom of God and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, it's like when Alice who falls through a rabbit hole and ends up in Wonderland, things get curiouser and curiouser.
We find that we are both subjects of God’s kingdom and citizens of the nation in which we live. Our temptation is to bring our world perspective and lifestyle into God’s kingdom. Our challenge is to repent and believe and to bring the perspective and lifestyle of God’s kingdom into our world.
Role models are an important part of our lives. Our role models demonstrate the characteristics and virtues that we deem important. The role models of this world might display success, wealth, fame, popularity, beauty or handsomeness. There are times when they might display kindness, tenacity or resilience. Most of the time, though, our role models of this world clash with the role models of God’s kingdom. One example of this can be seen in Jesus confrontation with a group of Jewish religious leaders called scribes.
The scribes were the literate class of Jewish society. They could read and write, which were skills few people had at the time that Jesus walked on earth. What they read the most was the Hebrew scripture. They became authorities on what was written. Their scriptural knowledge and literacy gave them power. Scribes expected to be honored and admired by others. Jesus, however, condemns them. Jesus accuses them of living lives that are a sham. They recite long prayers while at the same time devouring the homes and livelihoods of widows.
As we enter into the story, a scribe approaches Jesus. He has been impressed with how Jesus has answered his adversaries, even though he holds vastly different beliefs from Jesus. He asks a question of Jesus out of curiosity instead of trying to trick him. “What is the greatest commandment?” he asks. Jesus’ answer might have surprised him.
Jesus answers from the Old Testament, with a saying that is quoted by Jews every morning. The Jews understood that these words defined who they were. They were God’s people who were called to love God with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength and their neighbor as themselves. This was both their mission and goal in life.
These words have become the goal and mission of the Christian Church and the people who boldly say they are children of God and the body of Christ. If you boil down all the “shoulds” of our lives—we should go to church more often, give more, serve more, pray more—they would boil down to these words. We as Christians are called to love God with all of our hearts, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbors as ourselves.
There is a fundamental difference, though, between the scribe’s keeping the greatest commandments and Christians keeping the same commandments.
The scribe agrees with Jesus’ answer. Jesus responds that he is not far from the kingdom of God. Jesus may be affirming that the scribe is closer than his colleagues because he understands that God desires love rather than mere religiosity.
The scribe is acting from the understanding that God has made a conditional covenant with the Jews. If the Jews (and the scribe) love God with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength, then God will be their God. If they keep God’s commandments and are good, religious people, then they will be saved.
Christians approach the greatest commandment from a different point of view. Because of what Jesus did on the cross—dying for our sins, giving us victory over sin, death and the devil, and opening a new life and a new relationship with God, our salvation is assured and God’s love is unconditional. Certainly we seek to keep these commandments, but they are not the basis of our relationship with God.
Followers of Jesus have frequently discussed and argued about the attributes of faith. What does faith look like? Unfortunately, it has often been an attempt to determine who is in and who is out. For some the measuring stick is church participation and worship attendance. Others favor a set of lifestyle limitations. Christians don’t swear, smoke, drink, have sex, dance or play cards.
Some Christians believe that they have eventually reached a level of perfection where they love God with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength and their neighbor as themselves faultlessly. Such a warped perspective causes a twisted self-righteousness, judgmentalism and fanaticism. Not content to simply turn up their noses at lesser Christians and heathens, they loudly issue their proclamations of judgment on all who are different or who have the audacity to disagree with them. In its worse form, this warped self-righteousness produces religious disciples who blow up themselves and others, or who shoot a doctor while the doctor ushers at his church—killing others in the name of their God.
The commandments are meant to have a different effect upon us. As hard as we try to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves, we fall short. We don’t do enough, or we ignore what needs to be done. We come to realize that we are sinners no matter how much we try. As we grow in our relationship with God, we increase in the depth of our understanding of just how great sinners we are. This knowledge drives us to the cross of Jesus Christ, where we gather with our brothers and sisters in Christ and acknowledge our need for God’s forgiveness. Forgiven, we rise up and love again.
The Scribes and other religious leaders thought that the measure of a person’s faith was in their personal devotional practices e.g. prayer, fasting and giving a tithe. Though Jesus was certainly a pious Jew, he criticized such beliefs and taught that faith was so much more.
Loving our neighbors as ourselves is another demonstration of faith. This concept is supported by Jesus by both his words and his actions. The gospels are resplendent with examples of Jesus caring for others, healing them, freeing them from the forces of evil, and providing for them.
Jesus commends the widow and set her as an example of faith. His comments are not based on the level of her giving, but on her total dependence on God. The widow gave everything and trusted that God would provide for her just as God has done previously in her life. It isn’t necessarily that we need to live hand-to-mouth, but rather that we have that reliance on God’s love, mercy and grace.
We certainly struggle as we attempt to live as subjects in God’s kingdom and citizens of our great nation. Often we stumble and fall as we respond to God’s forgiveness and grace and live with a new perspective on life. When we do, God is right by our side. God pulls us up on our feet, whispers a word of encouragement in our ears, slaps us on the butt and challenges us to continue to be committed disciples of Jesus.
Lord God, Maker and King of the universe, to whom all honor, glory, praise, and worship are due; it is a right and proper thing, at all times, in all places, and in all circumstances, to give you our most hearty thanks and praise, especially for your Son Jesus Christ, who died to take away our sins and the sins of the entire world.
Father, we love You with our whole heart. As the heavens are high above the earth, so great is Your mercy toward those who fear You; as far as the east is from the west, You have removed our transgressions from us. Thank You for being our Father and calling us Your children. Thank You for loving us unconditionally. Thank You for creating us for Your good pleasure.
Father, You have asked us to continue to love one another, for love comes from You. Anyone who loves is Your child and knows You. Those who do not love do not know You, for You are love. You have shown how much You loved us by sending Your one and only Son, Jesus, into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love – not that we loved You, but You loved us and sent Your Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Thank You, Jesus, for giving Your life for ours. We were not worthy, yet, You made us worthy to love and know You. Thank You! Today, we confess that we will love You with all of our hearts, souls, strength and minds, and we will love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
We do not ask these things on our own authority, for before you we have none, but in the name of your only begotten Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in your glory, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, as one God, now and forever, Amen.
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The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.
Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 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.
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