Daily Mass Gospel Reflection- New Commandment⁵s

Word on Fire Ministry ^ | 03.17.23 | Bishop Robert Barron

[MurphsLaw]

Mark 12:28-34

Friends, in today’s Gospel,
Jesus sums up the laws of love.

It was a common practice in Jesus’ time to ask a rabbi
to identify the central precept of the Law.
Thus Jesus is asked, “Which is the first of all the commandments?”

He gave his famous answer:
“‘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.’”

All of religion is finally about awakening the deepest desire
of the heart and directing it toward God; But this love of God carries, Jesus says, as a necessary implication,
compassion for one’s fellow human beings.

Why are the two commandments so tightly linked?
Because of who Jesus is. Christ is not simply a human being,
and he is not simply God;
rather, he is the God-man, the one in whose person divinity and humanity meet.
Therefore, it is impossible to love him as God without loving the humanity that he has embraced.
The greatest commandment is, therefore, an indirect Christology.

[MurphsLaw]

+++ 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 neighb?or 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 more questions.+++

[Olog-hai]

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD; / And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

— Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

— Leviticus 19:18

“Rabbi, what is the greatest commandment in the Torah?”

[MurphsLaw]

To which the atheist asks of all of us God fearing folks...

How's that been working out
for all y'all?