The Great Commandment and the Scribe

Mark 12:28-34 (HCSB)
[28] One of the scribes approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked Him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”
[29] “This is the most important,” Jesus answered:
Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, The Lord is One. [30] Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.
[31] “The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”
[32] Then the scribe said to Him, “You are right, Teacher! You have correctly said that He is One, and there is no one else except Him. [33] And to love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
[34] When Jesus saw that he answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to question Him any longer.

This is a great discourse between a scribe (scribe(s) - A professional group in Judaism that copied the law of Moses and interpreted it, especially in legal cases. HCSB Back Matter) and Jesus. Most of the accounts of scribes in the Gospels have them trying to entrap Jesus in some point of the law. I believe because of this the modern reader just groups all scribes with all Pharisees and all Sadducees – Jesus’ enemies. We forget that not all men from all these groups followed the mob mentality.

This one scribe is mentioned; he took his job seriously and sought to interpret the Scriptures. In verse 33 the scribe adds “is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.” This does not sound like a man trying to trip up Jesus, but one who studied the law and applied King David’s & the Prophet Hosea’s writings to it:

Psalms 51:16-17 (HCSB)
[16] You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it;
You are not pleased with a burnt offering .
[17] The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit.
God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart.

Hosea 6:6 (HCSB)
[6] For I desire loyalty and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings .

It takes an understanding that God is fully in control (i.e. “a broken spirit”) to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. And it takes true humility to love your neighbor as yourself.

All this to make one point: don’t be so quick to judge an individual with the group, because Jesus would give hope to an individual within a group He wasn’t pleased with (Mark 12:28-30).