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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 neighbor as yourself’ is worth more than
all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Mark 12:32–33
This scribe got it. He posed a question to Jesus after Jesus was
challenged by some of the Sadducees who did not accept Jesus’
teachings about the resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees were
trying to trip Jesus up, and this scribe listened carefully to
Jesus’ answer and found it to be well said. Therefore, this scribe
asks Jesus his own question. He doesn’t ask this question in an
attempt to trap Jesus, but because he appeared to sincerely want to
hear Jesus’ answer. So he asked Jesus, “Which is the first of all
the commandments?” To that question, Jesus gives a summary of the
whole law of God saying that we must first love God with our whole
heart, mind, soul and strength and then love our neighbor as
ourselves.
We must all try to imitate this scribe. It was risky for him to
show support of Jesus. Many of the other scribes were quite hostile
toward Jesus. Therefore, by openly expressing His agreement with
what Jesus taught, he was putting himself at risk of being
criticized. But it appears he was not concerned about that. He was
a seeker of truth, and Jesus ended up paying him a huge compliment
by saying, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
In our growingly secular world, there are many truths of God that
are being openly questioned and challenged. Agreement on what are
the moral truths is becoming more of the exception than the norm.
As a result, we will all find ourselves experiencing hostility from
the world simply by being seekers of the truth. Many people even
find that a mere refusal to openly support objective immorality
will make them a target of the secular world.
Are you a seeker of truth? Do you recognize the holy truths of God
when you hear them? If so, do you have the courage you need to
pursue those truths and articulate them in accord with the mind of
God in the presence of others? Evangelization is different from
proselytism. Proselytism is a hostile and forceful preaching of the
truths of God. It is argumentative and lacks basic respect for the
freedom and dignity of others. Evangelization, on the other hand,
is an essential practice that every follower of Christ must engage
in. At the heart of evangelization is an honest and humble seeking
of the truth in every situation. One who evangelizes does not
attack another. They do not criticize and condemn. Instead, they
seek to understand the full truth themselves and then openly share
that truth with those who are open to it.
In many ways, this scribe did just that. He listened, understood,
inquired, and then freely shared his faith in what Jesus said.
Those who listened to him, especially other scribes, might not have
agreed with his conclusions. They might have even criticized him
among themselves. But the witness of this scribe might have opened
the minds and hearts of others who were listening. Some would have
sensed his openness, his understanding, and his joyful response and
allowed his conversation with Jesus to affect them for the good.
Thus, by openly seeking the truth, this scribe also evangelized
others and Jesus praised Him for his good work.
Reflect, today, upon the way that you share your faith with others.
Are you one who tends to be argumentative and condemning? Or do you
allow the joy of your own discovery of the truths of God do the
evangelizing? Be a seeker of Truth. Do so openly and with joy. If
you do, others will discover in you the truths of God that they
need and will be invited to imitate your truth-seeking in their own
lives.
Lord of all Truth, in You and You alone will we discover the
truths that set us free. Give me the grace and courage I need to
always seek out the truth You teach. As I discover and understand
all that You teach, help me to express my discoveries with joy and
enthusiasm so that others will also be drawn to You. Jesus, I trust
in You.
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catholic-daily-reflections.com
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Featured image above: Christ preaching - unfinished by
Richard Parkes Bonington, via Wikimedia Commons
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