The Scribe Who Agreed – Mark 12:28-34

A text – Mark 12:28-34

²⁸ One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that Jesus answered them well he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” ²⁹ Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; ³⁰ 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.’ ³¹ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” ³² 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’; ³³ 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.” ³⁴ 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.

A reflection”

I read our Gospel text this week, picturing it in my mind like a little movie. Jesus and all the temple authorities (Pharisees and Sadducees) are “disputing with one another.” The groups each try to entrap Jesus, but he turns their traps back on them with questions and answers of his own. A scribe is watching this unfold, maybe from the side of the room, and he edges in closer. He maybe even smiles, to see that his bosses are being shown up by this preacher from Galilee. In a lull, he asks a pretty honest, straightforward question, not intended to entrap.

Jesus answers him, and the scribe replies with satisfaction, even paraphrasing Jesus and adding that knowing and living out this answer is more pleasing to God than sacrifices. They are upholding one another’s words, making eye contact, having a moment of understanding and communion in a room full of hostility. They have agreed on the most important thing for humans to do. It is the end of a scene. No other entrapments will be set for Jesus. The authorities cannot prevail over Jesus when discussing what God wants from people. 

What does this moment teach us today? Many things, probably, but the one that is standing out to me is the idea that if we love God every day with as much of our energy as possible, and then turn our daily tasks to loving the neighbor, we will be close to the kingdom of God, just as Jesus declared this scribe to be. We don’t have to be perfect. We are just living in a way that keeps our relationship with God close and healthy, and also turned outward toward the neighbor. This is how God wants everyone to live in the Kingdom of God. It’s loving God and loving the neighbor. That is everything.

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for the story of the scribe who asked a question and got an answer. Let us be like the scribe, always in conversation with Jesus, to the glory and appreciation of God. Help us to remember every day that, whatever befalls us, we have God as our loving Creator and parent, and we have Jesus as our brother who always points us to God. Amen.