The 31st Sunday in ordinary time (Year B) marked the end of World Mission Month in 2021. The theme for the day’s readings speaks of a love that comes from God and eventually spreads to all humanity. A love that serves as the synthesis of all commandments; a love that is embodied in the Priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ; a love that starts with God because God is Love (cf. 1 John 4:8). Love is what prompted Christ’s saving efforts on the cross (cf. John 3:16). All the commandments found in the Hebrew laws or given by Old Testament prophets, hang on to the idea of loving God and loving one another. According to Prophet Isaiah, God’s love is greater and stronger than even the devotion of a nursing mother (cf. Isaiah 49:15).
The Way to Happiness
The 1st reading starts us off with the law of God handed to us through Moses (cf. Deuteronomy 6:2-6). A Law that is a gift from God the Father to us, and which guides us to the way to happiness. In this law, we come to understand what it means to love God. Moses teaches that as long as we live, we shall keep all God’s statutes and commandments so that our days may be prolonged. The first thing to do is to hear them and be careful to do them. Only then it may go well with us so that we multiply greatly. Given that it is God’s promise made to our forefathers, we are blessed by it with a land flowing with milk and honey. We learn that the Lord our God is one Lord, whom we are charged to love with all the heart, with all the soul, and with all the might. And this commandment to love God is stored in our hearts, so that we teach it to our children and our children’s children, and practice it in our lives.
A Complete Salvation
The 2nd reading shows us in the example of the Lord Jesus Christ how we too can love God (cf. Hebrews 7:23-28). He did it by giving His life as a ransom for us (cf. Matthew 20:28). The letter reveals that the Lord Jesus holds a permanent priesthood because He lives forever (cf. Hebrews 2:17). And because of this, He continues to make intercession for us whenever we draw near to God. His priesthood meets our every need. The assurance we have of this eternal priesthood is that it is holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens. How comforting it is to know that drawing close to God through the Lord Jesus Christ saves us completely and for all time. Even when our sins are as dark and grievous in their depth and scope, the grace of our Lord is so high and immeasurable. This is made possible by the word of the oath which appoints a Son, made perfect forever.
Adopted Children of God
Earlier in the letter, it is disclosed that in bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the Saviour perfect through suffering (cf. Hebrews 2:10). In other words, Christ’s cruel death on the Cross was designed to bring to completion God’s fore-ordained, redemption plan. This plan purposed to bring many condemned sinners back into a right relationship with God. We cannot focus too much on the cleansing of our sins, rather think about the one who cleanses and purifies. We should not speculate too much about our deliverance and the extent of it but look to the one who delivers. We must not stress too much on the salvation that we receive; instead, we let the Saviour into our hearts. As long as He has your heart, it matters not where you are in your spirituality. By faith, we are adopted into His family and become His children. Before the glory of His presence and the cleansing power of His blood, sin has no power. We are saved completely and to the uttermost!
Love God and Love your Neighbour
The Gospel presents us with the encounter of the Lord Jesus with a group of antagonists (cf. Mark 12:28b-34). One of the scribes comes forward and hears them disputing. He sees how well the Lord answers and decides to ask Him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Previous encounters with these well-schooled persons have shown ill-intentioned questions directed at the Lord Jesus. St. Mark’s narrative suggests that this scribe has a genuine desire to know the truth (St. Matthew seems to differ in opinion – cf. Matthew 22:35). The Lord who knows all hearts (cf. Jeremiah 17:10) recognizes this and gives him an answer that no one else will dare to ask any more questions.
The Lord Jesus summarizes the commandments into two most important ones. The first is to love God in the manner in which Moses prescribed it – with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is to love your neighbour as yourself. And, “There is no other commandment greater than these” (cf. Mark 12:31b). The emphasis is love, not the rules to which the scribes and Pharisees subscribe. Many superficial expressions understate the meaning of love. Yet love in itself carries depth, covers relationships and is of great importance in life. We are called to love God, to love each other and to love ourselves as people who have been given life by God. We have to pray for a deeper appreciation of love and for the freedom to accept it more fully so that we can live it in the self-giving way that the Lord Jesus did.
Knowledge Alone is not Enough
In this Gospel, the scribe realizes that to live by these two commandments is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. The Lord Jesus acknowledges the wisdom in this man’s response and encourages him saying, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” This scribe has come so close to the kingdom of God; still, he is not yet in, and being in is what matters the most. So, what brings a person into the Kingdom? In this Gospel, we see that knowledge of God’s law is not enough to enter the kingdom of God. Many people knew God’s law, but the behaviour of these Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes shows how dangerous mere knowledge can be. Theology alone is not and cannot be enough because it is not spiritual. The scribe wanted to know the truth from the Lord Jesus, but to enter the Kingdom means to live what Jesus taught. It is not enough to know about God; we must know God.
God has given us a mind so that we can think deeply about Him. Loving God with all our mind means being in humble submission before Him in our thoughts. Here lies the danger of being a smart person – you risk not surrendering your mind to God. The more knowledge you think you have, the more prideful and puffed up you likely become (cf. 1 Corinthians 8:1). You fail to use this knowledge to grow closer to God instead you use it to win arguments, to settle meaningless debates and to score some nonsensical theological points with the public. Moses meant we to use our minds, not for our pride, but the glory of God. We are to know the word of God and strive even more to know the Lord Jesus. We should search the Scriptures because they bear witness about the Lord God and not because we think we have eternal life through them (cf. John 5:39).
Agreement with God’s Word is not Enough
The good scribe knew God’s law and even agreed with it. Yet that only brought him not far from the Kingdom and did not bring him in the Kingdom. The most he did with God’s law was knowing it and agreeing with it. On the outside, he agreed with it; but on the inside, it did not touch him sufficiently to change him. He did not allow for change to happen within because his interest was only intellectual, not spiritual. He agreed with Jesus’ answer but did not go on to obey as Moses commanded (cf. Deuteronomy 6:3). Many of us are like this. We use our minds to think about God, but we never really give it over to God. The knowledge we acquire remains theoretical and our theology is a mere hobby for conversations and debates. It does not settle in the heart. It remains an object of study and not an object of worship. This is why we agree with it but do not live it.
So it is that the scribe applauds Jesus’ answer (cf. Mark 12:32-33). He agrees with Jesus. He even seemingly agrees with the intention of the law – obedience with a pure heart and not merely outward actions. He applauds; but, does he apply that which he agrees with in his life? Perhaps if he can stop discussing it for a moment and start trying to obey it, he might just ask a different question. We must realize that trying to obey God’s law is what brings it to work out its purpose in our lives.
