Word to the Wise
Sunday, November 5, 2006 - 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
[Deuteronomy 6:2-6; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 12:28B-34]The scribe said to him, "Well said, Teacher. You are right in saying, 'He is ONe and there is no other than he.' And 'to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself' is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."
There's nothing like "getting down to basics!" Jesus was not the only "rabbi" of his time. However, the gospel shows that he had to "earn his spurs" in public debate. It was a mark of a good rabbi if he could distill the law into a very succinct statement. Jesus boils it all down to faith and love and shows how they cannot live apart. He begins with the fundamental profession of faith for a Jew, the "Shema." There is but one God, and that God is the one the Jews acknowledged. But he follows that profession of faith with the fundamental implication of loving neighbor as oneself. This was not just an abstract principle for Jesus. His whole life was dedicated to showing how this had to be. He showed no partiality in life and love. He ate and drank with Pharisee and prostitute, rich and poor, scribe and tax collector! At the end of the story, Jesus does something that only he could do. He assured the insightful scribe that he (the scribe) was "not far from the kingdom of God." Talk about an authoritative statement! Good deeds without faith are altruism alone. Faith without good deeds is piety alone. The whole point of the Incarnation, God becoming human, is to show that we cannot have love of God without love of neighbor. If we want to be near the kingdom of God, we have to do more than "offer sacrifices and burnt offerings." Secular humanism could claim to do as much good for others as any Christian if we Christians don't come to our actions with God's love! I cannot think about this subject without thinking of so many good examples that have presented themselves to me: a young couple expecting their first child, a dedicated friend spending time in Southeast Asia to prepare for a lifetime of peacemaking service, the Dominican sisters here at St. Catharine who have taught so many about God's love, and so many others. They are not far from the kingdom of God. I hope their example can help me get nearer! AMEN
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