2024/11/03 SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
- Craig "CJ" Johnson, Assistant Manager of Events & Ministry Engagements
Mark 12:28-34, we find one of the Gospels' most direct and meaningful exchanges. A scribe, who is an educated man, comes to Jesus with an important question: “Which is the first of all the commandments?” This question touches the core of the Jewish faith, which, at that time, had over six hundred commandments in its law. The scribe’s question wasn’t just about finding the “first” in a numbered list but was asking what the most foundational principle in which faith should be.
Jesus responds by declaring a central principle of faith: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone!” This opening line underscores God’s uniqueness, affirming He is the true God. Jesus then calls for a complete and all-encompassing love for God: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Each word here—heart, soul, mind, and strength—represents a different aspect of our being. The “heart” speaks to our emotions, the “soul” to our innermost self, the “mind” to our intellect, and “strength” to our physical energy. Jesus’ response isn’t about following rules but committing ourselves to loving God with everything we have.
But Jesus doesn’t stop there; He immediately adds a second commandment: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” By doing so, Jesus links the love of God with the love of neighbor. To follow one is to follow the other. Loving God fully, according to Jesus naturally leads us to love others because every person reflects God’s image. When we see others as children of God, we see them with a sacred worth. The two commandments are, therefore, inseparable; we cannot truly love God without extending that love outward toward others.
The scribe, recognizing the truth in Jesus’ words, responds with insight, saying that loving God and neighbor is “worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” This response reflects a deep understanding that rituals or outward signs of faith are not as important as the inner disposition of love and compassion. Jesus, seeing that the scribe has answered with words of understanding, responds, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” In other words, Jesus is affirming that when we understand and live out this two-fold love of God and neighbor, we are close to embodying the Kingdom’s values.
For young readers or new Catholics, this passage reminds us that faith isn’t just about attending church or following rules; it’s about relationships. God invites us into a relationship marked by love—first with Himself and, second, with the people around us. We can ask ourselves: Are we living with love at the center of our actions? Do we see others as beloved by God and do we treat them accordingly? Jesus’ answer to the scribe’s question provides a guidepost for how to live a life that brings us closer to God’s Kingdom on earth. By loving God fully and extending that love outward to others, we make the Kingdom of God more present in our everyday lives. This passage is a call to action, reminding us that the heart of our faith is, and always will be, love.