and with all your strength. And after this comes a second commandment: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no
commandment greater than these two.” The teacher of the Law said to him, “Well spoken, Master; you are right when you
say that he is one, and there is no other besides him. To love him with all our heart, with all our understanding and with all
our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves is more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice.”
Jesus approved this answer and said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any
more questions.
Reflection:
Not all religious leaders are hostile to Jesus. Some recognize the brilliance
and clarity of Jesus’ teachings. They even acknowledge it publicly. Take for example
the teacher of the Law in this gospel. He probably comes to take part in the debate
with Jesus. Or he just wants to check on this new teacher whom everybody has been
talking about. Whatever his motives are, he was drawn at the wisdom of Jesus’ words.
After publicly praising Jesus, he in turn was complimented by Jesus as well. He is not far
from the Kingdom of God because his heart seeks the truth over personal gains or
vindictiveness.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2021