Fr. Manuel João, comboni missionary
Sunday Reflection
from the womb of my whale, ALS
Our cross is the pulpit of the Word
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Mark 12:28-32: “Listen, Israel!”
Giving a heart to the law!
We have now been in Jerusalem for three days. Last Sunday, we walked the last stretch of road, ascending from Jericho in the company of the Twelve and the crowd of pilgrims. Among them was Bartimaeus, the blind man from Jericho whom Jesus had healed, a symbol of all of us.
The Lord spends the final days of his life between the Temple and Bethany, a village on the outskirts of the city. During the day, he remains in the Temple, where he teaches the people, who listen to him willingly (11:18). In the evening, he withdraws with his companions to Bethany, a guest among friends.
We are on the third day of his stay in the Holy City, the final destination of his ministry. This day is particularly intense and begins with a sign: the fig tree withered from the roots (11:20-26), symbolising a barren life and the power of prayer. In the Temple, Jesus confronts the religious leaders, who question his authority to teach in that place (11:27-33). To them, Jesus tells the parable of the murderous vine-growers (12:1-12). Jesus’ fate is now sealed: the authorities have decided to eliminate him and are only seeking the right opportunity and motive. Following this is a series of traps to put him in a difficult position: first about the tribute to Caesar (12:13-17) and then about the resurrection of the dead (12:18-27). This is the context of today’s Gospel passage.
Points for reflection
1. Lost in the maze of laws
“One of the scribes who had heard them debating, and seeing how well Jesus had answered, came forward and asked him, ‘Which is the first of all the commandments?’”
According to Matthew and Luke, this doctor of the law also wanted to test Jesus (Matthew 22:35; Luke 10:25). What was the trap, in this case? For the common mentality of the time, the greatest commandment was the third in the Decalogue: the observance of the Sabbath, as God himself had observed it after the “work” of creation (Genesis 2:2). Jesus’ opponents thus expected him to answer in this way, so they could then accuse him: “Then why do you and your disciples not observe the Sabbath?”
However, for the evangelist Mark, the scribe’s question was sincere and relevant. With the intent of regulating all life according to God’s law, the rabbis had identified 613 precepts in the Torah (Pentateuch), in addition to the Ten Commandments: 365 negative (prohibitions, corresponding to the days of the solar year) and 248 positive (prescriptions, corresponding to the organs of the human body, according to the belief of the time). A genuine labyrinth! In such a tangle of laws, there was a need to discern what was truly essential.
2. Love is the law!
“Jesus replied: ‘The first is: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’”
Jesus does not quote any of the Ten Commandments, but he elevates himself from the legalistic plane to the level of love. He recalls the profession of faith of the “Shema Israel,” “Hear, O Israel” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, see first reading), the prayer that every Jew recites three times a day (morning, evening, and before going to bed).
“The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
To the “first” commandment, Jesus adds a “second” taken from Leviticus 19:18. This combination of Torah texts is original and unique to Jesus.
What is the relationship between the two commandments? St. Augustine comments: “The love of God is the first commanded; the love of neighbour is the first to be practised.” In the New Testament, this synthesis of the law in two commandments is not mentioned elsewhere and seems to lean towards love of neighbour: “This I command you: love one another” (Jn 15:17). For St. Paul, “the whole law is fulfilled in one commandment: love your neighbour as yourself” (Gal 5:14) and “the full fulfilment of the law is love” (Rom 13:10). Love for one’s brother is the mirror and proof of love for God. Anyone who says they love God but does not love their brother is a liar (1 Jn 4:20-21). The “two loves” are, in fact, inseparable.
3. “You shall love!”: giving a heart to the law
In both texts cited by Jesus, the key word is the imperative “You shall love!” Love thus becomes the key to the Law. Pagan gods desired submissive worshippers, slaves; the God of Jesus Christ, however, desires free children, capable of love. The verb “to love” (ahav in Hebrew) appears in the Old Testament 248 times (Fernando Armellini). This is a symbolic number, as it corresponds to the number of positive precepts (things to be done) according to rabbinic tradition. One might say that the only thing to do always (365 days a year!) is to love.
The Torah, springing from the heart of God, had lost its original spirit and, rather than serving humanity, had become a burdensome weight. Jesus came to restore everything human to the heart. Now, even at the heart of the Law, we can rediscover His Heart!
Fr. Manuel João Pereira Correia, mccj
