And no one dared to ask him any more questions

6 JUNE (Mk 12,28b-34)

Jesus is a specially observed person. Every word, every gesture, even the most harmless, insignificant, anodyne, devoid of any importance, is examined, studied, analyzed, passed at the theological and religious microscope of scribes, Pharisees and chief priests. However, this microscope has lenses out of phase. Through them you cannot see the highest good. You see only evil and in Christ Jesus, evil is everything that does not conform to their atheist, impious, adulterous thinking, devoid of the most pure and holy faith.

Consciences are not all equal. We have the stubborn, the loose, the envious, the superb and haughty ones; the ones sick of lust and arrogance, of foolishness and stupidity. But there is also the honest one that can see the good wherever it is. There is the weak one that cannot decide itself for the seen good and that one fearful and cautious beyond measure that secretly admires Jesus, being afraid to doing so publicly.

Today, a scribe presents himself before Jesus. He is a keen observer of things, a scrupulous analyst of history. He notes that Jesus knows how to answer, do not stray in any argument. Where others would have risked a lot, he always comes out head-on, instead. No one can make him fall into the error of carelessness or of not precise assessment of the risk he exposes himself to in answering. This scribe is faced with a man who is not like everyone else. All others would have fallen; on the contrary, he always remains standing. He puts Jesus to the test not out of malice, envy, jealousy, desire to hurt him. But only to notice the skill of Jesus and in the case he came out of this interview convinced, to join also to the message of the Master.

One of the scribes, when he came forward and heard them disputing and saw how well he had answered them, asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied, “The first is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, ‘He is One and there is no other than he.’ And ‘to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself’ is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that (he) answered with understanding, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

The question that the scribe asks Jesus requires perfect knowledge of Scripture and therefore it presupposes that Jesus has studied, or at least attended some high rabbinical school of the time. Not only is the answer immediate. It is also completed. There is not just a first commandment. There are two first commandments. And this is the mistake of always in religion. It always proceeds by separation of the commandments, the prophecies, the divine provisions and the very historical revelations made now through one or another prophet. The separation is harmful for the faith. However, in the unity there is life. Whoever wants to give life to the Lord’s people must unite commandments, prophecy and revelation. On the contrary, who wants the people of God to remain in death must continue in this perverse logic: separating all, commandments, prophecies, sacraments, gifts of the Holy Spirit, virtues and the very Word of the Lord.

The first commandment alone is not enough to be true worshipers of God. We must unite the other commandment, the one towards the neighbour. This unity is of vital importance since we do not live only in relationship with God, we live instead of relationship with any other human being, whom the same love that everyone has for himself is due to. It is in the balanced observance of these two commandments that real life matures and grows on our earth. When one of these commands has the upper hand over the other, it is the end of true life, because it is the end of the truth that governs human history. Today there is a preponderance for the second commandment. But missing the former, the latter one lives in a partial, heretical and false way.
Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints teach us true love.