“One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Mark 12:28 NLT
Mark is tricky in writing about this moment with yet another religious leader. As we make our way through the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, one of the rhythms we are used to is this lead line, “one of the teachers of the law…” It’s normally the cue that Jesus is about to be setup in an attempt to find justifiable cause to arrest him for some egregious religious infraction the religious leaders cooked up to silence him. Ah, but this one is different. This religious teacher is different. He’s not a trapper, he’s a seeker! This teacher was searching, not trying to set up the savior.
The first clue Mark gives us is this, “he realized Jesus had answered well.” So many people say they know all about Jesus, all about Christianity, but have ever read about him or definitely not experienced him for themselves? Turns out they’ve only heard comments from others who have also never met the real Jesus. This religious outlier was different because he really wanted to know the truth. Jesus was excited to share it with him.
We’ve seen Jesus use this version of the Shema before. This time, the man seeking wholeheartedly agreed with Jesus.
- Yes, there is only one God and no other.
- Yes, we are to love God heart, soul and strength – AND love our neighbor as ourself.
Then, surprisingly the religious teacher adds a critical commentary about the inefficiency of the law in regard to sin – He says about the most important thing is in fact “more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law,” (12:33). Jesus was delighted with his summary and said “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” Basically, he gets it.
His next step towards full citizenship in the Kingdom of God would be faith in Jesus as the Messiah who would be the finality, fulfillment and completion of the Law in every way. Who was this religious leader in Mark 12? We don’t know. My guess is that once this religious teacher, likely from team Pharisee rather than team Sadducee, watched as Jesus went to the cross as an innocent man. Then followed the story, hearing about Jesus resurrection from the dead. And, after putting all the pieces together, just like other very faithful Jewish people, he believed in Jesus as the Messiah who came to reconcile all people to God. The Bible does not tell us what happened to him, but I think there’s a good chance we’ll find him when we get to heaven.
Prayer
Dad,
It is so good to read about a few of the religious teachers, lawyers and leaders who honestly sought after truth! You promised it wouldn’t be hard to find truth if people actually looked for it. Same today, right? For those who seek they will find! You are not hiding. You are not avoiding or ignoring those who look for truth, you welcome it! Thank you for seeking us first, loving us first, and pursuing us always. Amen.