March 8th Lenten Reflection

Mark 12:28–34

One of the scribes came near and heard Jesus and the Saducees disputing with one another, and seeing that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and 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.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, ’and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ —this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.

Reflection by Lisa Oberreuter

It’s pretty easy to love God. It is not easy to love our neighbor; and some of us have a hard time loving ourselves. Yet here we have a new way of looking at how we view what’s important. I have to carefully weigh, balance, and consider how I act and think. How can I love God and ignore someone who needs help? How can I love myself and not take sabbath time to prevent burnout? How can I love my neighbor by excluding them due to religious sanctions? Jesus did not come to make our lives easier. I have to work at making the right choices. That requires my mindfulness, prayer, and the willingness to question all I have held in my belief structure. I pray I, too, someday will hear Jesus say, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” In the meantime, I can only take each moment at a time and try to make decisions that will add up to a life well-lived in Jesus’ teachings.