Mark 12:32-34

Passage

The scribe heard Jesus’ explanation and commended the answer.  He acknowledges the oneness of God and asserts agreement that there is no other.  The scribe then asserts that loving God with all the heart, soul, and strength is better than all the sacrifices and burnt offerings.  Jesus replied in kind, acknowledging the wisdom of the scribe.  Jesus told the scribe that he is not far from the Kingdom of God.  With this, nobody dared to ask Jesus any more questions.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

The scribe acknowledges the wisdom of Jesus.  The scribes were students of the Law.  They were teachers of the Law.  They were people who associated with the Pharisees and the Sadducees quite often.  The fact that this scribe acknowledges the wisdom of Jesus at a time when the Pharisees and the Sadducees were trying to trap him is quite a bold move.  Yet, it shows us a character trait of the true disciple.  The true disciple seeks truth, not the party line.  The true disciple seeks to understand God, not mankind’s understanding of God.

How do you react to truth?  How do you react to truth when agreeing with it will make you unpopular?  What is more important to you, truth or popularity?

Second Thought:

Jesus hears the scribe’s reply and then acknowledges that he is not far from the Kingdom of God.  The question is, what does it mean to be not far from the Kingdom of God?  Certainly it is not a term of inclusion, because then one would be in the Kingdom of God.  What Jesus is saying here is that the scribe is on the correct path to discovering fully what God is doing in the world.  If the scribe continues to think in these lines, he will soon find himself following the ways of Jesus.  Jesus is complimenting the scribe.  In a way, Jesus is giving the scribe an “at-a-boy” while telling him that he still has a little ways to go yet.

What does it feel like to be on the cusp of understanding something new for the first time?  Is there a sense of excitement?  Is there a sense of concern?  What is usually needed to push someone over the edge into full understanding when they are right on the edge?

Third Thought:

After Jesus interacted with the scribe, nobody else dared to ask Jesus any questions.  He had fulfilled their tests.  He had even begun to convert the scribes to His way of thinking.  Jesus was proving Himself to be quite dangerous from the perspective of the religious leaders.  It was time for them to back away, regroup, and come up with a more permanent plan.

Does truth always silence the opposition?  Does truth ever silence the opposition?  Why do we often see the silence of the opposition as a good thing?  How might the phrase “the calm before the storm” apply here?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 12:35-37