The scribe in today’s reading, on the other hand, seems to approach Jesus with more noble intentions. The scribe asks a simple question, “which is the greatest commandment”.
The scribe's desire to know the greatest commandment reflects a heart that was seeking to understand what God wants from us, so that he may respond appropriately. He wasn't just trying to trip Jesus up like many of the Pharisees, nor did he want Jesus to tell him the bare minimum of what God expects of us. The scribe sought from Jesus a single simple principle underlying the complexity of the law—a foundational commandment that gives meaning to all of the ensuing rules and regulation of religious life.
The command to love God and neighbor is not just an order or duty. After all, no one can love simply because he is told to do so! The greatest commandment impels us to align our will to God's will in everything we do; to make loving and obeying God our highest principle.
Jesus responded to the scribe’s question by quoting Deuteronomy 6:4-5, the great Israelite confession of faith known as the Shema: Shema Israel, Adonai Eluhenu, Adonai Ehad – Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God. He is Lord alone!
By the time of Jesus, this statement was understood to mean that God of Israel is not only the one God of the Jews but the one and only God of the whole universe. In a world of polytheism, the jews were the only people to have been granted this earth-shattering insight: there is but one God, who has created all things and who holds all things in existence by his goodness and power. His claim on us is therefore total, calling for a total response at every level of our being.
The Great Commandment to love God with all your strength—to make God’s will the highest and guiding principal of your life—is the only truly appropriate response to the One God and Creator of the Universe.
The rightly ordered life seeks to love God amidst all of the other activities of life. God is not to be set aside as we engage in business, family life, leisure, or political involvement. God is to be served and sought in every dimension of life.
St. Paul wrote, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” Many of us glorify God before our meals, by praying, and saying grace. But we can better order all of our activities by beginning them with prayer: praying before getting in the car, praying before exercising, praying before turning on the television. We do well to pray before meeting with the group of friends with whom we are prone to gossip, before sitting down to the computer where we are prone to waste precious time. If we are tempted NOT to pray before any of our daily activities, perhaps we need to consider if we should be doing them in the first place, or why we are resistant to bringing them to God and under God’s sovereignty.
God knows this commandment is not easy. Left to our own powers it would be impossible. But through God's grace, the grace he makes available in the Sacraments, the grace he gives in the Eucharist, he transforms our hearts to rely on his strength in order to love him with all of ours. May we approach the Lord in the Eucharist, as the scribe in the Gospel, seeking to learn from Jesus to love as he loves, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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That obedience to all the commands of Christ and the Church may mark the life of every Christian.
For all those preparing to enter into Christ through the saving waters of Baptism and those preparing for full initiation this Easter, may these final Lenten weeks bring about purification from sin and enlightenment in the ways of holiness.
For those who have fallen away from the Church, who have become separated from God through error and sin, for those who reject the teachings of Christ, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.
For those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or illness: may they experience the healing graces of Christ.
For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy.
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