Mark 12:28-34

One after another, the representatives of the several religious and political groups had filed before Jesus, seeking to discredit him - the chief priests, the scribes, the elders, the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the Sadducees. One after another, he had put them to rout.

All of this opposition, it would seem, had occurred in the precincts of the Temple, on Tuesday, during the Crucifixion Week. Throughout it all, there was a scribe standing in the crowd who was greatly impressed with the dexterity and the insight of Jesus (Mark 12:28). At least, he stepped forward to put Jesus to the test. He wanted to know what was the essence of the law.

Jesus gave the scribe a sympathetic hearing and a clear and forthright answer. He quoted a passage from the Old Testament - Shema, Deuteronomy 6:4-5. Until this day, this passage is the central prayer of Judaism. It is the heart of every Jewish service. It is recited by the Jew when he believes that death is approaching. In Jesus's day, this passage was the call to worship in the Temple service. the scribe found himself in total agreement with Jesus's statement. That, he surely believed.

That was not all. Jesus went on to say that there was a second commandment which was also of central importance: You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31). With the significance of this commandment, the scribe was no less familiar. The great Jewish teacher, Hillel, had once said, What you would have done to yourself, do to your neighbor; that is the whole Torah (law) and all the rest is commentary.

But, for the first time, perhaps, the scribe saw the relationship of these two commandments. They belonged together. Love of God must be coupled with love for man if the laws of God are to be fulfilled. Indeed, Jesus implied that the two commandments are essentially one, as he said: There is no other commandment greater than these (Mark 12:31).

We live in a day when necessity is laid upon all of us who follow Christ to heed his words to the inquiring scribe. Hatred and ill will and contempt for others do not belong in the heart of one who professes to love God, through Jesus Christ, with all of his soul and all of his mind and all of his strength.

When the scribe enthusiastically accepted the interpretation of Jesus Christ, our Lord warmly commended him saying: You are not far from the kingdom of God (Mark 12:34). That incident put an end to the questioning.