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Gospel: Mark 12: 28-34
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
“Which is the first of all the commandments?”
Jesus replied, “The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, 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.”
The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
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Imagine hearing those words from Jesus.
The man in the Gospel is a scripture scholar – and likely a very virtuous person – who is complimented by Jesus for his effort.
Then he’s reassured, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
I wonder what this man was missing.
I wonder what we might be missing.
If knowledge of God and a virtuous life leads us to the brink of the kingdom but not into it, then what helps us leap across the finish line?
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Love.
It’s one thing to believe in the command to love, and another to do it day after day.
What might it look like for me to love God and my neighbor a little more today than I did yesterday?
It could be as simple as an extra moment in prayer; a word of gratitude; a favor for a friend.
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“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
Keep loving those who are near you and you’ll cross the finish line.
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Image credits: (1) Got Questions (2) Aleteia (3) Grand Canyon University