Mark 12:28-34 NRSVue

²⁸One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” ²⁹Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; ³⁰you 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.’ ³¹The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” ³²Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; ³³and ‘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.” ³⁴When 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.

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Some thoughts on this scripture

Reflection
Lord, what commandment do I live by? To look after Number One? To seek comfort in retail therapy or selfish pleasures when I am down? What is it, /to love you with all my heart/? I think that only you can do that for me. You purify my heart by chipping away at my selfishness and my illusions, by showing me that you have made me for yourself, and my heart is restless till it rests in you.

Reflection
When we are committed to love, we are not far from the kingdom of God. It's like the open door to the kingdom. Our need for love sometimes brings us to darker places and selfishness, so we need the help of God that love be purified and so bring us closer and closer to the sincerity and purity of love in God's kingdom.

Reflection
A constant theme of Jesus is the central place of love in real religion. The Jewish tradition of many generations is expressed in the formula quoted in this piece of the gospel. We can protect ourselves with the small details of religion and faith while neglecting the primacy of love. Prayer and religious practice are in the service of love.

Reflection
Jesus recites the 'Shema Israel' - שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל - the prayer that he knew from his earliest years. As I am at prayer, I give God thanks for my own history of prayer, recalling those who taught me and giving thanks for all who have helped me to hear the voice of the Lord.

Reflection
I ask God to help me to love fully, to enable me to bring all of my energies, passions and desires to life in a way that gives glory to God.

Reflection
I consider how my love for myself and my love for my neighbour might be brought into a better balance this Lent.