In Mark’s Chapter 12, ‘one of the Scribes’ asks Jesus, “Which was the first commandment?”
“The first commandment of all is, ‘Hear O Israel! The Lord our God is one God; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second is like it, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’ There is no other commandment greater than theses.”
And ‘the Scribe,’ said to him, Well answered Master, thou hast said truly that he is one and that there is no other besides him; and that he should be loved with the whole heart, and with the whole understanding, and with the whole soul, and with one’s whole strength; and that to love one’s neighbor as oneself is a greater thing than all holocausts and sacrifices.”
And Jesus, seeing that he had answered wisely, said to him, “Thou are not far from the kingdom of God.”
Doesn’t this challenges our all-or-nothing thinking in the All-or-Nothing Old Testament… where Scribes and Pharisees are all doing bad things and Jesus and the Twelve Disciples all doing good things?
Well, Jesus and the Twelve Disciples are all doing good things…
Well, well, Jesus is always doing good things… one disciple was not so good and another denounced Jesus three times and others were at times the subject matter of Jesus’ clarifying statements above love, friendship and true discipleship.
Didn’t the Scribes and Pharisees have Sabbath School for the children?
I don’t know if they did or didn’t have Sabbath School for the children.
Let’s not see the Old Testament as ‘old’ and ‘outdated,’ and the New Testament as ‘new’ and ‘enlightened.’
Our hearts do not see in all-or-nothing, love only one type of person, or love some only so far. Why then should we limit our love of neighbors or of Christ himself?
Why not be completely open-hearted as well as open-minded when it comes to our relationships and our world of the 21st century?
This section of Matthew has more to say about then and now—the parable of the vine-dressers.
“What therefore will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-dressers, and will give the vineyard to others. And have you not read the Scriptures: “The stone which the builders rejected, has become the cornerstone; by the Lord this has been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes’?”
The vine-dressers are the Pharisees, Sadducees and the Scribes, those in power in the Jewish synagogue of Old Testament Law, and the owner is God who sends some prophets and John the Baptist whom they seize and beat and kill. Finally God sends His Only Son Jesus Christ and they kill him too. Then God destroys the vine-dressers and begins a New Covenant with the disciples, apostles, and believers in Christ and His resurrection.
Another parable so that they may trap him in his talk
Master, we know that thou are truthful… dost teach the way of God in truth…
“Render, therefore, to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Then yet another parable—the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection… asked a trick question about seven brothers and one woman who became the wife of all by successive deaths…
At the resurrection (which they did not believe in), therefore, when they rise, of which of them will she be wife? For the seven had her as a wife.
“Is not this why you err—because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?
“For when they rise from the dead, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage, but are as angels in heaven.”
“He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are therefore entirely wrong.”
I didn’t realize that the resurrection was written in the Scriptures, the Old Testament, at that time? I will look for it in the days ahead.
Open-minded and open-hearted and not pre-judgmental in terms of all-or-nothing thinking. Nor do I need to be the perfect biblical scholar or completely in control of my life or the lives of others. This is TROML and the defining search for my Splendid Spiritual Self.
Perhaps, being now single, I should avoid future marriages and focus on being and being with ‘Angels of God in Heaven?’
Where is my Splendid Spiritual Self to be found? When will Christ come again?
For in those days will be tribulations, such as have not been from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, nor will be.
“And then, if anyone say to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ; behold, there he is,’ do not believe it.”
“After that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give her light, and the stars of heaven will be failing, and the powers that are in heaven will be shaken.”
“And then they will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds with great power and majesty. And he will send forth his angels, and will gather his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost parts of the earth to the uttermost parts of heaven.”
“This generation will not pass away till all these things have been accomplished. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
“But of that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. Take heed, watch and pray, for you do not know when the time is. And what I say to you, I say to all, ‘Watch.’”
I remember, but can’t find the reference now, that God promised to never again destroy all the people like he did with the flood that Noh survived. The earth will pass away indicates all people, except the ones gathered by Jesus, will pass away with the earth?
I need to stay open-minded, open-hearted, and watchful.
One of the Scribes was not far from the Kingdom of God
Challenges our all-or-nothing thinking in the All-or-Nothing Old Testament…
Day 46: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; One of the Scribes was not far from the Kingdom of God.
Read and inspired by the New Testament, The Gospel of Saint Mark Chapters 12-13.
Bible Notes:
The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark
Saint Mark, a convert of Saint Peter, was the son of a certain Mary, whose house in Jerusalem was a gathering place for Christians.
His Gospel, based on Saint Peter’s preaching, aims to prove to the Gentiles the divinity of Christ, be recounting His numerous miracles and examples of His power over devils.
Matthew Chapter 12: Parable of the vine-dressers; The vine-dressers kill the owner’s son; Tribute to Caesar; The Sadducees and the resurrection; Christ’s response; The great commandment; The Son of David; Hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees; The widow’s mite.
And he began to speak to them in parables.
Then he let it out to vine-dressers, and went abroad
He sent a servant, they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.
He sent another servant, they wounded him in the head and treated shamefully
He sent another servant and him they killed
He sent many others, beating some and killing some
He sent a beloved son, saying “They will respect my son.”
This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.
So they seized him and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard
What therefore will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-dressers, and will give the vineyard to others.
And have you not read the Scriptures: “The stone which the builders rejected, has become the cornerstone; by the Lord this has been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes.
That they may trap him in his talk
Master, we know that thou are truthful… dost teach the way of God in truth…
“Render, therefore, to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection… There are seven brothers…
At the resurrection, therefore, when they rise, of which of them will she be wife? For the seven had her as a wife.
“Is not this why you err—because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?
“For when they rise from the dead, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage, but are as angels in heaven.”
“He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are therefore entirely wrong.”
Which was the first commandment?
“The first commandment of all is, ‘Hear O Israel! The Lord our God is one God; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second is like it, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
One of the Scribes, the Scribe- Well answered Master
And Jesus, seeing that he had answered wisely, said to him, “Thou are not far from the kingdom of God.”
“Beware of the Scribes, who like to walk about in long robes, and to be greeted In the market place, and to have the front seats in the synagogues and the first place at suppers; who devour the houses of widows, making pretense of long prayers. These shall receive a heavier sentence.”
And many rich people were putting in large sums
And there came one poor widow
“Amen I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who have been putting money into the treasury. For they all have put in out of their abundance; but she out of her want has put in all that she had—all that she had to live on.
Matthew Chapter 13: Destruction of Jerusalem foretold; Some question Christ; His answer; Warning to be on guard; Destruction of Jerusalem; The signs of the last day; Jerusalem’s impending destruction; The need for watchfulness.
“Dost thou see all these great buildings? There will not be one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
“Take care that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he’; and they will lead many astray.”
“But be on your guard… and you wills stand before governors and kings for my sake, for a witness to them… and the gospel must first be preached to all the nations… do not be anxious beforehand what you are to speak; but speak whatever is given you in that hour. For it is not you that is speaking, but The Holy Spirit… And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake; but he who has persevered to the end will be saved.”
The abomination of desolation
Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains…
For in those days will be tribulations, such as have not been from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, nor will be.
“And then, if anyone say to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ; behold, there he is,’ do not believe it.
After that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give her light, and the stars of heaven will be failing, and the powers that are in heaven will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds with great power and majesty. And he will send forth his angels, and will gather his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost parts of the earth to the uttermost parts of heaven.
This generation will not pass away till all these things have been accomplished. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
But of that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
Take heed, watch and pray, for you do not know when the time is.
And what I say to you, I say to all, “Watch.”
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