Well Said

 "Well said, teacher!" Mark 12:32

What an amazing exchange this is between Jesus and a scribe! The scribe tests Jesus with the simplest question: "Which is the first of all the commandments?" And Jesus gives the obvious answer that we should love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength. And Jesus adds that "The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

Then the scribe PRAISES Jesus enthusiastically: "Excellent!!! You are soooo right!!!" Perhaps this is accompanied by a clapping of hands, or a pat on the back! Do you not find this exchange amusing? I do! But Jesus does not view this man with amusement. He congratulates the scribe with approval, saying, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God."

To me this shows that sometimes we make faith too complicated. We should just go back to the basics of what God wants from us. Basically it is a heart issue. God wants our heart. He wants us to be like little children who desire nothing less than to love Him and to love others as well. After all, is this not what anyone who loves desires? To be loved in return? In the Cathechism of the Catholic Church, we can read: “God Himself is an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and He has destined us to share in that exchange” (221).

Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, may I see Your love for me for what it truly is- all-encompassing, all forgiving, all accepting! Your loving kindness and graciousness can never be measured. May I love You with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, and with all my strength. And may I see my neighbor through your loving eyes, so I may love him too!