Friday of the Third Week of Lent - March 20
Hosea 14:2-10 Mark 12:28-34
In today’s reading, this scribe wasn’t dubious, snide and provocative with his question, like all the others. He seemed intrigued and inspired by Jesus’ cool handling of His questioners and I think he figured, if you’re going to ask the son of God a question, you’d better make it a good one!
What really resonates with me is that Jesus distills the central message of two religions down to a couple of points, in a couple of sentences. Love God and love your neighbor as you love yourself. In fact, if you examine all of the other laws, they only serve to support these two tenets, love Him and love others as you love yourself. If you look at the ten commandments, three are for God: No other gods, no idols, don’t take His name in vain and keep the Sabbath holy. The other seven are for us: Honor your mother and father, don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t bear false witness and don’t covet your neighbor’s wife, or property. It all seems so simple.
The first one is easy – love God, the second is a bit more challenging. We don’t get to decide who our “neighbor” is and few of us are as altruistic as Abe Lincoln, “I don’t like that man, I must get to know him better,” or Will Rogers, “I never met a man I didn’t like.” Surely, Jesus didn’t mean the people
who broke into my car the other night, or that horrible boss I once had? Yes, Jesus means everyone.
It seems excessive that Mark wrote “all” four times: All your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength. But I believe that is by design. I think he meant that our entire existence, experience, thoughts, actions and intentions should be colored by, and connected to, God. When we act from that perspective in carrying out the first rule, we have a lot better chance of successfully carrying out the second – and God help me, I’m trying!
Q: How can I love someone who has hurt me or hurt other people? How did Jesus do that?
In today’s reading, this scribe wasn’t dubious, snide and provocative with his question, like all the others. He seemed intrigued and inspired by Jesus’ cool handling of His questioners and I think he figured, if you’re going to ask the son of God a question, you’d better make it a good one!
What really resonates with me is that Jesus distills the central message of two religions down to a couple of points, in a couple of sentences. Love God and love your neighbor as you love yourself. In fact, if you examine all of the other laws, they only serve to support these two tenets, love Him and love others as you love yourself. If you look at the ten commandments, three are for God: No other gods, no idols, don’t take His name in vain and keep the Sabbath holy. The other seven are for us: Honor your mother and father, don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t bear false witness and don’t covet your neighbor’s wife, or property. It all seems so simple.
The first one is easy – love God, the second is a bit more challenging. We don’t get to decide who our “neighbor” is and few of us are as altruistic as Abe Lincoln, “I don’t like that man, I must get to know him better,” or Will Rogers, “I never met a man I didn’t like.” Surely, Jesus didn’t mean the people
who broke into my car the other night, or that horrible boss I once had? Yes, Jesus means everyone.
It seems excessive that Mark wrote “all” four times: All your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength. But I believe that is by design. I think he meant that our entire existence, experience, thoughts, actions and intentions should be colored by, and connected to, God. When we act from that perspective in carrying out the first rule, we have a lot better chance of successfully carrying out the second – and God help me, I’m trying!
Q: How can I love someone who has hurt me or hurt other people? How did Jesus do that?
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