{"id":4379,"date":"2018-10-29T16:42:12","date_gmt":"2018-10-29T16:42:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/batkol.info\/?p=4379"},"modified":"2018-10-29T16:42:12","modified_gmt":"2018-10-29T16:42:12","slug":"reflections-on-the-readings-for-the-31st-sunday-of-the-year-cycle-b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/2018\/10\/29\/reflections-on-the-readings-for-the-31st-sunday-of-the-year-cycle-b\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflections on the Readings for the 31st Sunday of the Year, Cycle B"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Reflections on the Readings for the 31st Sunday of the Year, Cycle B<\/strong><\/p>\n

Deuteronomy 6:2-6; Psalm 17: 2-4, 47-51a; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 12:28-34<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Download\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"The theme of our readings today is that our love of God is to include love of our neighbour. The passage we read from Deuteronomy is known as the Sh\u2019ma from the command, in Hebrew, \u201cHear\/Listen\u201d. \u00a0It is central in Jewish tradition and liturgy, repeated morning and night, as well as in moments of gravest crisis and at the hour of death. It has sustained every generation of Jews and deepened their commitment to the one saving and caring God. In Torah scrolls the last Hebrew letters of Sh\u2019ma\/Listen and Ehad\/One are written large.\u00a0 One explanation given is that, together, these two letters form another Hebrew word, Aid\/witness, to emphasize that the Jew who pronounces the Sh\u2019ma witnesses to the Holy One.\u00a0 When a Jew recites these verses, he\/she is said to \u201ctake upon him\/herself the yoke of the kingdom of heaven\u201d, which means that entry into God\u2019s kingdom is only possible through selfless, active love – for love is to show itself in deeds:\u00a0 \u201ckeep and observe\u201d.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We only read a few verses of Psalm 17, which is almost identical to 2 Samuel 22.\u00a0 It begins with the words, \u201cI love you, LORD, my strength\u201d, which are better translated as \u201cI am impassioned of You, LORD, my strength.\u201d\u00a0 Such a translation brings home the depth of feeling that is called for in the Sh\u2019ma of Deuteronomy.\u00a0 As the great medieval commentator, Maimonides, says, \u201cWhat, then, is the way to love God? When human beings contemplate God\u2019s works \u2026. they will be seized by a keen longing passion to know God \u2013 as David said, \u2018My soul thirsts for God, the living God\u2019 (Psalm 42:3)\u2026. The lovers of God experience this constant obsession in their heart, as we are bidden to love \u2018with all your heart and with all your soul\u2019 and as Solomon expressed allegorically, \u2018I am lovesick\u2019 (Song of Songs 5:8).\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The story of Jesus and the scribe is told by all the synoptic gospel writers, but with different emphasis.\u00a0 Mark\u2019s account, which we read today, is probably the oldest.\u00a0 He says nothing about the scribe wishing to \u201ctempt\u201d or \u201ctest\u201d Jesus, but simply reflects a sincere desire to express the whole covenant relationship between God and Israel in a simple all-inclusive statement.\u00a0 It\u2019s significant that Jesus appeals to the Torah in his answer:\u00a0 he endorses what the scriptures say.\u00a0 There is no conflict between the commands of God which are set out there and the demands of the gospel.\u00a0 The challenge to love God and to love one\u2019s neighbour, once addressed to Israel, is addressed now to Mark\u2019s readers and is as appropriate for them as it was for the scribe in the story.\u00a0 The question put to Jesus, \u201cWhich is the first of all the commandments?\u201d was one that was commonly discussed by the rabbis.\u00a0 The issue was whether there was some basic principle from which the whole Law could be derived.\u00a0 In reply, Jesus quotes the opening words of the Sh\u2019ma \u2013 and adds the passage from Leviticus 19:18, \u201cYou must love your neighbour as yourself\u201d.\u00a0 Certainly they belong together and are held together in the concluding comment:\u00a0 \u201cThere is no commandment greater than these.\u201d Others among Jesus\u2019 contemporaries quoted these passages in reply to similar questions.\u00a0 Rabbi Hillel is said to have taught, \u201cWhat is hateful to yourself, do not do to your neighbour; this is the whole Law, the rest is commentary\u201d.\u00a0 Mark\u2019s account of this story makes an interesting theological point:\u00a0 the teacher of the Law assumes that he is entitled to approve Jesus\u2019 teaching, but in fact the roles are reversed, and it is Jesus who approves his.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The living out in all its fullness of this \u201cfirst of all the commandments\u201d is, of course, seen in the person of Jesus, which is at the heart of the passage we read today from the Letter to the Hebrews \u2013 \u201cthe Son who is made perfect for ever\u201d.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This week\u2019s Sunday Readings Commentary was prepared by<\/p>\n

Sr Margaret Shepherd, NDS, London, UK<\/p>\n

margaretashepherd@gmail.com<\/p>\n

[Copyright \u00a9 2018]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n

PLEASE NOTE: The weekly Gospel commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Sunday Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol. \u00a0Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.<\/p>\n

\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem<\/p>\n

1983-2018<\/p>\n

\u201cChristians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.\u201d<\/p>\n

gill@batkol.info Website: www.batkol.info<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

@import url(https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-content\/plugins\/siteorigin-panels\/css\/front-flex.min.css); #pgc-4379-0-0 , #pgc-4379-0-2 { width:10%;width:calc(10% – ( 0.9 * 30px ) ) } #pgc-4379-0-1 { width:80%;width:calc(80% – ( 0.2 * 30px ) ) } #pl-4379 #panel-4379-0-1-0 { } #pl-4379 .so-panel { margin-bottom:30px } #pl-4379 .so-panel:last-child { margin-bottom:0px } #pg-4379-0.panel-no-style, #pg-4379-0.panel-has-style > .panel-row-style { -webkit-align-items:flex-start;align-items:flex-start } @media (max-width:780px){ #pg-4379-0.panel-no-style, #pg-4379-0.panel-has-style > .panel-row-style { -webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column } #pg-4379-0 .panel-grid-cell { margin-right:0 } #pg-4379-0 .panel-grid-cell { width:100% } #pgc-4379-0-0 , #pgc-4379-0-1 { margin-bottom:30px } #pl-4379 .panel-grid-cell { padding:0 } #pl-4379 .panel-grid .panel-grid-cell-empty { display:none } #pl-4379 .panel-grid .panel-grid-cell-mobile-last { margin-bottom:0px } } <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reflections on the Readings for the 31st Sunday of the Year, Cycle B Deuteronomy 6:2-6; Psalm 17: 2-4, 47-51a; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 12:28-34   Download\u00a0     The theme of our readings today is that our love of God is to include love of our neighbour. The passage we read from Deuteronomy is known as…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":4371,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4379"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/46"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4379"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4379\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}