Dear Friends,
We hope this week's devotional will encourage you in your spiritual walk. We give thanks to Rev. Dr Linda Stargel, Academic Dean and Senior Lecturer in Biblical Studies and Biblical Language, for writing this devotional.
You are welcome to share this and include it in your church newsletters if you wish; we just ask that you please give credit to NTC and the author. Thank you!
Mark 12: 28-34
Drawn to Love
28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; 33 and ‘to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.
Devotional
Jesus has come to Jerusalem and his passion is near. He is surrounded by hostile Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, scribes, and priests. They question, challenge, and try to trap Jesus. But in the midst of this, Mark’s narrative introduces a sympathetic scribe. (This man is not the hostile, tricky one portrayed in Matthew and Luke’s gospels.)
The scribe comes near because he sees that Jesus has answered the other hostile groups well. Similarly, at the end of the narrative, Jesus sees that this scribe too has answered well, and Jesus declares that the scribe is not far from the kingdom of God. Between these two seeings, Jesus orients the man to the power of the kingdom into which he is being drawn. This kingdom is defined by love for God and love for others.
Mark’s narrative is as much about relationship as it is about the Greatest Commandments. God draws and the man comes. This scribe is open and teachable. He is willing to trade tradition and ritual (“whole burnt offerings and sacrifices”) for love.
Today, the grace and power of God continues to draw people in the direction of the kingdom of God. Little by little they are wooed and attracted by the love of God. Like Jesus, we have the opportunity to participate in this divine romance by orienting these “drawn ones” to the love of God and neighbor rather than to religion. We do this through our own lives of love (and with words if necessary).
Prayer
Lord, thank you for your power, your grace, and your love that draws people to yourself. Give us eyes to see their journeys of grace. May we be participants in your divine romance. Fill us with your spirit of love.
Song
Jason Gray, “More Like Falling in Love” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rzOdXJu5UA
Shalom,
Linda M. Stargel (Academic Dean, Senior Lecturer in Biblical Studies and Biblical Language)