Message of Abbot Paul - Thursday 3rd June

Abbot Paul • June 2, 2021

Message from Fr Paul for Thursday, 3rd June 2021

Dear Abbot Jerome always used to say, “If only Christians followed the teaching of Jesus, what a different world it would be.” How right he was! We are all aware of our own shortcomings and, sadly, of the failures of others, both through the ages and today, to follow the example and teaching of Jesus. Much of what he said, and other texts from the Bible besides, have become part of the English language. Often and without realising it, we use words and phrases that come straight from the Scriptures. The one sentence everyone knows, that came from the lips of Jesus is, “Love your neighbour as yourself,” usually shortened to just, “Love your neighbour.” Jesus, of course, said a bit more than that, as we read in today’s Gospel passage from Mark, (Mk 12: 28-34).

“One of the scribes came up to Jesus and put a question to him, ‘Which is the first of all the commandments?’“ There is no indication here that the scribe in question, an expert in the interpretation of the Law, is out to trap Jesus into saying something considered to be against the Law. He simply asks him which is the first of the commandments. Jesus will give him a fuller answer than he bargains for. “Jesus replied, ‘This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must 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 must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.’” Jesus answers the question not only with the first commandment, citing Deuteronomy 6:4-5, but a second: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself,” from Leviticus 19:18. The scribe’s reply is interesting indeed. “The scribe said to him, ‘Well spoken, Master; what you have said is true: that he is one and there is no other. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself, this is far more important than any holocaust or sacrifice.’” The beauty of our text lies in the paraphrasing by the scribe of the words of the Law which Jesus has cited, adding, “this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices” (12:33). Jesus recognises the truth of the scribe’s words and his wisdom. “Jesus, seeing how wisely he had spoken, said, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ And after that no one dared to question him anymore.” The scribe, as Jesus sees things, is not far from the kingdom of heaven.

If the scribe is not far, what will bring him closer, or even into the kingdom of heaven? What if you or I were that scribe? Perhaps we are not far from the truth either. We have heard the teachings of Jesus many times. We have tried to live by them. How close are we now? We acknowledge the truth of Christ’s teaching, but to what extent do we live by what he teaches? In both commandments, we hear Jesus teaching us a selfless love, a love like his. What a gift of word and deed. Through the presence of the Holy Spirit in each one of us, we are enabled to live as the Lord intended us to live in relationship with the God of all creation and the person whom God has created in God’s own image, our neighbour and ourself.

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