First Reading: Deuteronomy 6:2-6
Reflection:
In this passage, we hear what Jews refer to as the Shema, which is the Hebrew word for what is translated here as “Hear” (followed by “O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!”). This begins the passage that is the central proclamation for Jews to this day, and also is at the heart of our faith as Christians, which is evidenced in the gospel reading. For the Israelites, this passage was like a creed. It succinctly summarized their faith in one God. It is prefaced by Moses’ exhortation to “fear the LORD” and “keep, throughout the days of your lives, all his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you.” Fear of the Lord is a phrase used throughout the Bible and, at first, we might think it means we are to be scared of God and always should be walking on eggshells with Him. Yet, fear here (and elsewhere in the Bible) has more to do with reverence and awe than it does with being scared of God. He is not some distant figure we want to avoid upsetting. Rather, God is a loving Father and He calls us to love and respect Him. Fearing God means that we acknowledge Him for who He is (the creator of the universe) and we make Him the center of our lives. In other words, we give God the honor, respect, reverence, and worship that He is due, because He is God. The way to do that is to “keep…all his statutes and commandments.” In other words, we must obey the Lord. But obeying God should not primarily be motivated out of fear of punishment. Rather, we are called to obey God out of our love for Him. As we will hear again in the gospel reading, the greatest commandment is to “Love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.” If we love God with all of our being, we will obey His commandments. To do so, we need to remind ourselves of this calling every day. That is why many Jews to this today have mezuzahs on their doorposts, which are small boxes that contain the text of the Shema. They touch them when they go out or go into their home, synagogue, or other place. Some Jews also continue the practice of using phylacteries, which are small boxes containing this text that are tied on their arms and/or their foreheads. This is a visible, physical reminder of the commandment to love God with all of ourselves. As Christians, we too need to be reminded daily (in one way or another) to love God and seek to live that command in our lives.
Second Reading: Hebrews 7:23-28
Reflection:
Here the author of the letter to the Hebrews (who is unknown) contrasts the Old Testament levitical priesthood with Jesus’ priesthood. In the Old Testament, there was a High Priest who would offer annual sacrifices for the sins of the people of Israel, including his own. The levitical priests also offered daily sacrifices in the Temple to atone for the sins of the people, including their own. Jesus is the fulfillment of all these priestly ministries, and most especially the High Priesthood. But the difference is that Jesus did not need to offer a sacrifice for His own sins, because He was sinless. Also, the sacrifices of the Old Testament were limited because they were administered by finite human beings. This is why they needed to offer sacrifices again and again and again. But Jesus is infinite. He is both fully God and fully human. Therefore, He could offer an infinite sacrifice for the sins of the world. His sacrifice was “once for all.” This means that His one sacrifice on the cross that was made at one time and in one place has atoned for all sins of all times and all places. The forgiveness offered through Jesus’ one sacrifice is continually available and made accessible to us. We are invited to receive the reconciliation He offers to us today.
Gospel Reading: Mark 12:28b-34
Reflection:
In this Sunday’s gospel reading, the scribe asked Jesus a question to test Him. The Jews knew that the Shema was the greatest commandment and that the second greatest commandment was “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (which is quoting Leviticus 19:18). These two commandments summarize all the commandments of the Old Testament (there were 613 in total!). Most especially, they summarize the Ten Commandments. In fact, the two stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written illustrate and prefigure this summary of the law into two primary commandments. The first three commandments in the Decalogue (i.e. Ten Commandments) are about loving God, and the next seven are about loving our neighbor. In the New Testament God revealed Himself through Jesus Christ to be a Trinity of three divine persons, but we as Christians still proclaim with the scribe that “[God] is One and there is no other than he.” In other words, along with the Jews, we profess that there is only one God. But through Jesus we have come to understand that the one God is a communion of three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is love, and those three persons share that divine love in perfect unity with each other. The purpose of our lives as human beings is to love God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) with all our hearts, our souls, our minds, and our strength. God has given us everything we have. He created us out of love. We are called to give everything we have and are back to Him in love. One of the primary ways we show love to God is through loving our neighbor, who is anyone we encounter, but most especially those in need. We are to care for our brothers and sisters and love God through loving them. This is the goal of our lives as Christians: to love God and love others.
Application:
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate yourself on loving God in your daily life? How would you rate yourself on loving others? What action steps do you need to take in order to increase each of those numbers by one?
