03 November 2024
Lectionary Readings: Deuteronomy 6:2-6; Psalm 17: 2-4,47,51a; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 12:28-34
Theme: Thy Neighbors

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’ma from the command, in Hebrew, “Hear/Listen”. It 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’ma/Listen and Ehad/One are written large. One explanation given is that, together, these two letters form another Hebrew word, Aid/witness, to emphasize that the Jew who pronounces the Sh’ma witnesses to the Holy One. When a Jew recites these verses, he/she is said to “take upon him/herself the yoke of the kingdom of heaven”, which means that entry into God’s kingdom is only possible through selfless, active love for love is to show itself in deeds: “keep and observe”.
We only read a few verses of Psalm 17, which is nearly identical to 2 Samuel 22. It commences with the phrase, “I love you, LORD, my strength”, which could be more accurately rendered as “I am fervently devoted to You, LORD, my source of power.” This translation underscores the profound emotion required in the Sh’ma of Deuteronomy. According to the esteemed medieval commentator, Maimonides, “How then does one cultivate love for God? When individuals contemplate the deeds of God…. they will be overcome by an intense and ardent desire to comprehend God – as David articulated, ‘My soul thirsts for God, the living God’ (Psalm 42:3). Those who truly love God feel this unwavering fixation in their hearts, as we are commanded to love ‘with all your heart and with all your soul’ and as Solomon poetically stated, ‘I am lovesick’ (Song of Songs 5:8).

The narrative of Jesus and the scribe is recounted by all the synoptic gospel writers, each with a distinct emphasis. Mark’s rendition, believed to be the most ancient, omits any mention of the scribe intending to “tempt” or “test” Jesus, instead conveying a genuine aspiration to encapsulate the entire covenant relationship between God and Israel in a straightforward comprehensive declaration. It is noteworthy that Jesus invokes the Torah in his response, affirming the teachings of the scriptures. There exists no contradiction between the directives of God delineated therein and the requirements of the gospel. The call to love God and one’s neighbor, once directed towards Israel, is now directed towards the readers of Mark and is equally pertinent to them as it was to the scribe in the anecdote.
The inquiry posed to Jesus, “Which commandment holds the highest significance?” was a topic of extensive debate among the scholars of that time. The crux of the matter revolved around whether there existed a fundamental principle from which the entire Law could be derived. Jesus, in response, references the initial words of the Sh’ma – and appends the excerpt from Leviticus 19:18, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Undoubtedly, these two passages are intertwined and united in the conclusive statement: “There is no commandment greater than these.” Some of Jesus’ contemporaries also cited these passages when confronted with similar inquiries. Rabbi Hillel purportedly espoused, “Do not do to others what is hateful to you; this is the essence of the Law, all else is commentary.” Mark’s rendition of this narrative conveys a profound theological insight: the legal expert assumes the authority to endorse Jesus’ teachings, yet in reality, the roles are reversed, with Jesus affirming his teachings.
The embodiment of the paramount commandment is exemplified in the personage of Jesus, a central theme in the excerpt from the Epistle to the Hebrews we have contemplated today – “the Son who is perfected for eternity”.
For Reflection and Discussion: 1. Which commandment holds the highest significance? 2. How do I see my neighbor?
Bibliography: McKenzie, J.L. Dictionary of the Bible (New York: 1965)
This week’s Sunday Liturgy Commentary was prepared by
Dunhill Malunar Timkang, Israel-Jerusalem, Bat Kol Alumna/Alumnus: 2023
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