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?" Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 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.' The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." 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'; 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." 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.

-Mark 12:28-34

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"You have come a long way...." We have come a long way. Every once in a while, we followers of Jesus get it right. Perhaps not often, but once in a while. You have come a long way, Jesus said to the scribe... You are not far from the kingdom." Occasionally, Jesus affirms the direction in which we are going. Jesus affirms our knowledge of the law.

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?"

The scribe overhears the people, the Sadducees in this case, "disputing" with Jesus - and with one another - about all kinds of topics. They've addressed a gamut of subjects ranging from Jesus' authority to paying taxes to resurrection . Seeing that Jesus seems to be holding his own quite well, the scribe asks: "Which commandment is the first of all?" The question put forth in this instance is not a trick question, nor is it designed to entrap Jesus. Instead - the scribe simply asks Jesus a question that reflects the current theological struggle in his Jewish community during that time. Scholars state that - in Jesus' day - there was a tendency for many Jews to expand the law limitlessly into hundreds and thousands of rules and regulations; and, yet, there was also a tendency to try to gather up the law into one sentence, one general message which would be a compendium of its whole message. In other words, there was a tendency to know every detail, every law and letter in Torah, yet a tendency, also, to integrate the Torah into a mantra, or a simple sentence that every belief, thought, and action might be measured up against.

Jesus responds, quoting the Deuteronomy 6:4-5, commonly known as the Shema, to be the "first" and most important commandment.

Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 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.' The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

"Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 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."

Now - as I hear this text - I do not think that the scribe was being technical in asking which law was the "first" of them all. I think that the scribe saw this man named, Jesus, who seemed to be pretty astute and he wanted to know: "Jesus, we have all these important laws in the Torah. Now what!? What does all this stuff boil down to? What's really important?"

Spiritual leaders had answered in many ways before. Hillel was once asked by a proselyte to instruct him in the whole law while he stood on one leg. Hillel's answer was, "What you hate for yourself, do not (do) to your neighbor. This is the whole law, the rest is commentary." Akiba had already said, '"You shall love your neighbor as yourself' - this is the greatest general principle in the law." Simon the Righteous had said, "On three things stands the world - on the law, on the worship, and on works of love."

Sammlai had taught that Moses received 613 precepts on Mount Sinai. David reduced the 613 to 11 in Psalm 15. The prophet Isaiah reduced them to 6. Micah reduced them to 3: to seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God. And, finally, Jesus reduced the precepts to the famous Shema (our text this morning).

People of God, how might you sum up the whole of scripture, the law and the prophets? For you, what is the first and most important commandment of all? There is a different culture present in each and every one of us here this morning, and with each person I would expect a slightly different answer, with a slightly different focus. What do you hold all your goals and your actions up against? What holds you accountable day to day? Can you call it out in one sentence?

Each prophet had a slightly different focus in their summation. Each one had integrated the Torah a little differently, whether it be David, Isaiah, Micah, or Jesus of Nazareth.

Among a string of questions and adversarial remarks, Jesus may as well have been asked: "Why are you here, Jesus? What are all these teachings really all about?" Jesus says: "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 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." And "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The charge is so simply put, yet there is something confronting about it.

My sister, Maranatha had it right at age 7, and spoke something prophetic to our family. Maranatha and I often accompanied my dad, who is a Presbyterian minister, on his visits to the nursing home. (It was during these profound visits that I experienced my first nudge from the spirit that I might be called into the ministry.) Well - on one particular occasion my dad tried to begin a conversation with my sister about world hunger and world peace. My dad asked her: "Maranatha, tell me what you think we should do about world hunger, or how about world peace?" to which Maranatha replied: "Dad, I don't want to talk about it." Dad: "Why, don't you think it's important to talk about it?" Maranatha: "We already know what to do… and all we need to do now is do it."

The call to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength is easy to grasp. It's not difficult to understand. In the words of Maranatha: "We know what to do." Now - we are left to do it. And as we get up, move forward - God nudges us with small, yet poignant affirmations.

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'; 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." 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.

The scribe in this text is off to a good start, for instead of spouting off his own message, he had the curiosity to ask Jesus what he thought. He demonstrated an interest in people, in this case Jesus; for he asked a question and offered a moment to listen. After listening to Jesus' answer, the scribe responded: "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that 'God is one and that there is no other.'" He confirms Jesus' charge to love God and neighbor, but he does so in his own words, and he adds: "This is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." In making this statement, the scribe reveals that not only did he hear Jesus, but he had pondered its meaning… and how it might shape the direction of his life. For the scribe, placing the focus on "loving God" and not "whole burnt offerings and sacrifices" meant rearranging priorities. It meant a change in attitude and faith practice that all things would be measured up against love of God and neighbor, not against the number of sacrifices he makes.

There must have been a look of love in Jesus' eyes, and a look of appeal, as he said to him, "You have gone so far. You are not far from the kingdom of God." The scribe had his attitude, his spirit in line with God's grace; and committed to love God and neighbor. Now he is left to act in the world.

Jesus says: "You have come a long way. Will you come the rest of the way with me?"

Amen.