This week we continue our series on Holy Week as we look at Chapter 3 of Amy-Jill Levine’s book Entering Christ’s Passion: Holy Week for Beginners, “Risking Challenge.” The Scripture passage this week is from Mark 12:28-34 (see below), and Levine’s book also references Matthew 22:15-22 and Mark 12:41-44.
As we center on this third week of Lent, we land on Tuesday of Holy Week with Jesus remaining in Jerusalem. The Gospel of Mark (from which we read this week) dedicates almost three chapters to the events of this day and more verses than any other day of Holy Week. Virtually everything that happens on this day takes place in the large open-air portion of the Temple.
Jesus spends the day teaching, and there are numerous exchanges where Jesus challenges the religious authorities or is challenged by them. Sometimes these challenges are subtle, and sometimes not. Each one seems to escalate the tension and we might guess that this escalation leads directly to Jesus’ betrayal and crucifixion.
We might look at this in trepidation and fear. We might want to reach into the pages of our Bibles in our love for Jesus. We may feel an increasing sense of dread and discomfort. But we would be wrong. Death is necessary for resurrection. Death is necessary for new life.
Unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains solitary and useless. But if it dies, it brings incredible potential (paraphrasing John 12:24).
Mark 12:28-34
28 One of the legal experts heard their dispute and saw how well Jesus answered them. He came over and asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”
29 Jesus replied, “The most important one is Israel, listen! Our God is the one Lord, 30 and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your mind, and with all your strength. 31 The second is this, You will love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.”
32 The legal expert said to him, “Well said, Teacher. You have truthfully said that God is one and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love God with all of the heart, a full understanding, and all of one’s strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself is much more important than all kinds of entirely burned offerings and sacrifices.”
34 When Jesus saw that he had answered with wisdom, he said to him, “You aren’t far from God’s kingdom.” After that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Consider these questions:
- This passage about love falls in the midst of challenging teachings about taxes, resurrection, and the nature of giving completely. Do you think of these commandments as equally challenging? Why or why not?
- Think about these greatest commandments alongside the ten commandments. Do you see similarities? Do you see differences? How do these strike you? What do you think this might mean?
- The paragraphs above just before the scripture claim that death is a necessary thing. This isn’t intended to negate the challenge and grief associated with death, but is intended as a reminder that death is not the end. What do you think about this intellectually? How does your emotional center respond to this?