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.
Saint Mark's Gospel is curiously ambivalent about the advantages of discipleship. While we are marvelously close to the Lord who remains wonderfully close to us, there are few material advantages. And just as we think we're better -- more courageous, generous, or patient -- than certain other persons, we prove to be their inferior.
In the gospel, as Jesus and his bewildered disciples approach and enter Jerusalem, they become all the more obtuse. Arriving finally at the Last Supper, they loudly insist they will fight for Jesus to the end. But he knows and hearers of the Gospel know they will flee in terror when Jesus is arrested. As he is tried and tortured, they are nowhere in sight.
But strangers show some insight and occasional courage in assisting the Lord. In today's gospel a scribe asked him a particularly thorny question, "Which is the first of all the commandments?"
It might be a no-brainer, as Jesus proves when he cites the Shema:
Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength.
But life in the presence of God is never so simple, and so a second principle must be invoked, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The life of faith is not either/or but both/and. Our freedom is not contained within obvious, no-choice choices. Rather, we must operate in the brilliant darkness of faith, make decisions, and deal with the consequences.
And then, to everyone's astonishment, the scribe agrees with Jesus. This was supposed to be a quarrel but the gentleman, an honest member of a dishonest party, can only agree with his opponent. To which Jesus replies with pleasure, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God."
That was a far nicer than his rebuke of Peter, "Get behind me, Satan!"
After reading Saint Mark, no one can say, "I am okay with God." The standard is set and it's beyond our comprehension. Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.