Discerning What Matters to God
Mark 12:28-31
And when one of the scribes… asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear O Israel! The Lord our God, our God is One Lord. And you shall love the You’re your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Holy Week is a series of “honor/shame challenge/riposte” verbal exchanges between Jesus and the authorities in Jerusalem, first the religious authorities and ultimately Pilate. Their goal was to publicly humiliate and thus discredit Jesus. In addition to the inherent truths in each of the teachings, the exchanges were recorded by the gospel writers to demonstrate the religious leaders’ failure to catch and embarrass Jesus.
The week began with the humble parody of Jesus’ Palm Sunday parade through the east gate into Jerusalem, mocking Pilate’s triumphant show of power as the governor rode into the city most likely on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The people proclaimed Jesus “Son of David” and cried “Hosanna” or “Yahweh save us,” both Messianic acclamations (Ps 118:25,26).
This raised the ire of Pharisees and Sadducees who commanded Jesus to silence His followers. Jesus instead insulted them with a quote from the prophet Habakkuk declaring that the house they had built was one of injustice and violence and that the stones of the house would cry out in protest (Habakkuk 2:9-14, Luke 19:40).
Jesus’ position was an open threat to the delicate relationship the religious authorities had struck with the Roman government. And so, the Torah expert’s question in today’s passage was a trap to discredit Jesus: Which of the commandments would Jesus forget to mention? Or in the subsequent arguments, how could the interrogator trap Jesus with His own words and humiliate Him?
In the public “honor/shame challenge/riposte” game, Jesus turned the tables on the Pharisees who had gathered by asking a question about the Messiah:
“What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?” They said to Him, “The son of David.”
He said to them, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I put your enemies beneath your feet?’ Therefore, if David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?” (Mark 12:35-37, Psalm 110:1).
“And no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.” It was the ultimate humiliating end to an honor/shame exchange. Jesus had the last word.
Instead of the trap, as we enter Holy Week, Jesus has made it clear how we can best devote ourselves to God our Father: Love God. Follow Jesus (to best know how to love God and others). Care for others. Do good work well.
It is not easy. We too easily get caught up in the maelstrom and menace of our times. He will call us to love people who are at times difficult to like, let alone love.
But it is the via crucis, the way of the cross.
And He bids us follow.
