In today’s Gospel a Jewish scribe asks Jesus a question that I am sure all of us have asked at one time or another: “Which is the first of all the commandments?” A Jewish scribe is one who has studied the Scripture and perhaps even memorized it. He might feel a little overwhelmed with all his studies. He wants to make sure that he does not “lose the forest for the trees,” so recognizing that Jesus teaches with authority put his question to Jesus. Jesus picks out two commandments as the central one through which all other prescriptions and proscriptions in the Scripture must be evaluated. These two commandments are love of God and love of neighbor:
‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
The first commandment that Jesus cites is called the Shema from the opening words, “Hear, O Israel (shema yisra’el).” Jews recited this text twice a day to remind and teach them that God’s will and way come before all things.
This Jewish scribe affirms Jesus’ teaching and Jesus in turn praises this scribe: “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” This scribe agrees that love of God and love of neighbor must also be cojoined: “love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” The prophets before them taught the same thing:
“I desire mercy, not sacrifice…” (Hosea 6:6; Matthew 9:13; 12:7)
“You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8).
Like the scribe in today’s Gospel with come to Jesus with questions and Jesus shows us the way to the Father.
Image: “PikiWiki Israel 16920 Torah Reading” by מנחם מנחמי is licensed under CC BY 2.5.