31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Sunday 3 November 2024

Mk 12,28-34

“One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 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.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these””
(Mk 12,28-31)

A scribe, expert in Sacred Scripture, poses a loaded question to the Master Jesus of Nazareth, which Jesus doesn’t shy away from: “Which commandment is the first of all?”. His answer is the Shema Israel, meaning ‘Listen Israel’ (cfr. Deut 6:4-5). This prayer is the summary of the Jewish faith: to love the Lord with all one’s heart, with all one’s soul, with all one’s strength. Along with the Ten Commandments, it was recited every day. Presumably, Jesus Himself recited it, and knew the contemporary interpretation of it found in the Berakot commentary (Berakot means ‘Blessings’): “We must bless God for the bad and for the good, because it is written: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your means”.

With all of your heart, meaning with two inclinations, both good and bad. Let’s remember that the Lord doesn’t look at appearances, but at the heart (cfr. 1Sam 16:7).

With all of your soul, that is, even to the most extreme of consequences: giving Him your life. According to the book of Leviticus, life is blood (cfr. Lev 17:14). Therefore, be willing to bear witness to the point of martyrdom, for love.
With all of your strength (or means), meaning with all your material wealth.

If we look carefully, we find the realisation of the Shema Israel in various preachings of Jesus, as well as in the actions of the early church. In Acts 2 and 4 in particular, where the icon of the first Christian community is presented: “All the believers were together and held all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to everyone, according to their need” (Acts 2:44-45); “Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common” (Acts 4:32).

So, this is what it means to be a Christian: fulfilling the sublime commandment of the Shema Israel.

p. Giuseppe