A Lesson from the Ten Lepers (Luke 17:11-19) – Wednesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time

The Gospel Reading of Wednesday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time, Year II, Luke 17:11-19, is the story of Jesus healing ten lepers on his way to Jerusalem. He was heading to the holy city to die to pay our debt of sin and to be raised from the dead so that he is vindicated (i.e. Acts 5:30-31) and we are justified (i.e. Rom. 4:24–25).

As Jesus came into their sight, ten lepers, while keeping distance, raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” (Luke 17:13). Because lepers were considered as “untouchable”, they were prohibited to come in close contact with others (Leviticus 13:45-46). Then, Jesus said to them, “Go show yourselves to the priests”, and they were healed as they were going to show themselves to the priests (Luke 17:14).

Realizing that he was healed, one of the ten, a Samaritan, returned to Jesus, glorified God, prostrated at Jesus’ feet, and thanked him, while other nine kept going to show themselves to the priests (Luke 17:15-16) to be declared “clean”(Leviticus 13:13). In response, Jesus said, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” and “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you”(Luke 17:17-19).

What is a lesson from this story?

Yes, faith is a factor for healing. But those whose faith was less than that of the Samaritan man were also healed from leprosy. So what did Jesus mean by saying “your faith has saved you” only to this grateful Samaritan man? 

The original Greek text of “saved” in this phrase of Jesu is, “σέσωκέν (sesoken). This can mean “healed”, “restored to the wholeness”, and “saved”. 

When he said, “your faith has saved you” to this Samaritan man, Jesus was referring to the salvation of the Samaritan’s soul. This implies that only the Samaritan man, who exulted God and thanked Jesus for healing him from leprosy, received salvation of the soul, while other nine only received physical healing of the cleansing of leprosy. 

In a way, we are these ten lepers. Most of us tend to take God’s grace, His providence, for granted. Only a few of us praise God and thank God. Many do not even pray. When they pray, it is about asking God a favor for them. 

How may of us really thank God for the Word and the Eucharist at Mass? Yes, pews of churches may be filled. It sure is better than an empty pew. But they are in pews to receive the Word and the Eucharist at Mass, thinking that they would be “saved” by attending Mass. At the conclusion of Mass, they sure say, “Thanks be to God”. But it is only out of their lips but not from their hearts. 

If we were more like the Samaritan man, who praised God and thanked Jesus, then, it should not be that only less than 30% of Catholic attend Mass at least every Sunday and that only nearly 30 % of Catholic see the Eucharist as the real body and blood of Christ. These numbers should be way much higher. 

Regardless of levels of faith, we may be healed physically and psychologically by Jesus. But for our souls to be saved (healed), we must have faith like that of the Samaritan. Remember, for us to enjoy eternal life, our souls must be saved. 

Pastoral Leaders are Unprofitable Servants of God and His People -Tuesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time (Year II)

On the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time (Year II), in Monday’s First Reading (Titus 1:1-9), Paul gave his pastoral advice to Titus, who was installed as bishop of Crete by him, as to ordaining priests (vv.5-6) and necessary character to serve as bishop (vv.7-9). Then, the Gospel Reading (Luke 17:1-6) addresses that pastoral leaders, as overseen by bishop, must confront and judiciously resolve scandals, to ensure that it will not spread throughout his diocese, like an infectious disease. It also encourages pastoral leadership to bring those who cause scandals to penance and reconciliation. 

The readings of Tuesday of Tuesday of the 32nd Week (Titus 2:1-8, 11-14 and Luke 17:7-10) continue to address pastoral leadership. 

The First Reading (Titus 2:1-8, 11-14) gives pastoral advice for teaching. What is indispensable for teaching is to instruct and guide people with sound doctrine (Titus 2:1; cf. 1:9). This means that bishop must be well-versed with the Church’s doctrine, which is based on Christ’s teaching, as passed by the Apostles, including Paul. Because he is also God’s steward (Titus 1:7), bishop must defend it at all costs, refuting heresies (Titus 1:9). Therefore, bishop teach the old and the young, men and women of all of all walks of life with sound doctrine, so that the elderly can teach and guide the young so that they grow well-disciplined, especially with self-control. 

The discipline cultivation is essential because the teaching should aimed to make sure people pastored by bishop’s pastoral leadership can endure with blessed hope in preparing themselves for the return of Christ. Thus, Paul wrote to Titus, bishop of Crete:

For the grace of God has appeared, saving alle and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good. Say these things. Exhort and correct with all authority. Let no one look down on you (Titus 2:11-15).

In fact, all the pastoral ministries in the Church are geared to save the souls of the faithful. Therefore, bishop’s pastoral leadership is aimed for salvation of soul, as it is the supreme law of the Church (Salus animarum lex maxima Ecclesiae)(Canon 1752). And Peter, the first Pope wrote:

Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:8-9).

Bishop pastors his diocese as God’s steward (Titus 1:7). It means that bishop manages his diocese with sound doctrine (Titus 1:9; 2:1). But bishop’s managerial pastoral leadership also means the practice of humble servantship, as reminded by the Gospel Reading (Luke 17:7-10). Being a leader and steward (manager), there is no space for arrogance and selfish interest at all. So, Jesus said the future Apostles while they were still the disciples, learning to be sent as the Apostles:

Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, “Come here immediately and take your place at table”? Would he not rather say to him, “Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished”? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do” (Luke 17:7-10).

Because they were to become the first pastoral leaders of his Church, after his ascension and Pentecost, Jesus wanted to make sure that they would understand to serve God and His people with self-denying humility, not to bask in praises, in their pastoral leadership. And the essence of the pastoral leadership is symbolically summarized as “unprofitable servants”, which means “unworthy servants”. 

From Pope to local bishops, as well as priests and deacons, are all these pastoral leaders truly humble servants of God and His people, being “unprofitable servants”? It is our responsibility to make sure they really are to protect the Church from scandals. 

Pastoral leaders, from Pope down to deacons, as well as lay ecclesial leaders, serve God and His people as “unprofitable servants”, but with sound doctrine and discipline for salvation of souls. 

Sound Pastoral Leadership Competencies and Response to Scandal in the Church - Monday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time (Year II)

The Church must always heed the readings of Monday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time (Year II) as the First Reading (Titus 1:1-9) addresses the quality of the Church leadership and the Gospel Reading (Luke 17:1-6) warns danger of corruption, especially caused by the Church leadership. The expectation is that leaders of the Church are to demonstrate their pastoral leadership competence. This includes exercising competencies to confront, address, and judiciously resolve problems in their diocesan jurisdictions. 

For this, Paul addresses necessary qualification for Church leadership to Titus, whom he installs as bishop of Creta through these words:

For this reason I left you in Crete so that you might set right what remains to be done and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you, on condition that a man be blameless, married only once, with believing children who are not accused of licentiousness or rebellious. For a bishop as God’s steward must be blameless, not arrogant, not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive, not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, temperate, just, holy, and self-controlled, holding fast to the true message as taught so that he will be able both to exhort with sound doctrine and to refute opponents (Titus 1:5-9).

Paul puts Titus in charge of appointing πρεσβυτέρους (presbyterous) in Crete to set up church there. Presbyters are often translated in English as “elders” and it is the leadership under bishop (ἐπίσκοπος/episkopos) and above deacons (διάκονος/diakonos). Namely, presbyters are priests. Therefore, as bishop, Titus is in charge of ordaining priests in establishing a diocese in Creta. 

The guideline for priesthood is that it is a man who is blameless, chaste, and his family is obedient to the Church authorities and free from a scandal. 

Paul also describes necessary character for a bishop (episkopos) , whom he describes as a steward of God. This higher pastoral leader is a man who is blameless, humble, even-tempered, sober, gentle, altruistic, hospitable, found of goodness, just, moderate, composed, and steadfast to the truth passed from Christ through the Apostles. This qualifies him to encourage the faithful to remain in Christ with sound doctrine of the Church and refute enemies of the Church. In other words, bishop’s pastoral leadership is greater than that of priests, as he is the primary defender of all the faithful whom he pastors against those who oppose the Church. The opponents of the Church are those who bring scandals in the Church,  including those who cause the faithful to sin and confuse them with heresies. Not to mention, those who abuse and prey on God’s children are great opponents to be refuted by bishop’s pastoral leadership. 

In the Gospel Reading (Luke 17:1-6), Jesus offers pastoral advice in regard to dealing with scandals in the Church (vv.1-4) and increasing faith (vv. 5-6).

Jesus knows that we are not perfect and therefore we sin. However, he sharply criticizes those who cause others to sin (Luke 17:1-2), enticing and tempting them to fall, as Satan did to Eve, and as Eve did to Adam (Genesis 3:1-6). According to Jesus, those who cause scandals in the Church are subject to due judgement. However, it is not us to impose judgement but God. Our task is to confront scandals and work on corrections. We are to encourage and guide those who caused troubles in the Church to repent but not to judge (Luke 17:3-4). For this, we must increase our faith (Luke 17:5-6). And Church leaders make sure that scandals are confronted and refuted accordingly as there is no tolerance to it. And their pastoral leadership guides the faithful to increase their faith so that they can resist temptations and enticement of Satan and those who try to cause scandals. 

In nut shell, the pastoral leaders, bishops (episkoposes), priests (presbyterouses), and deacons (diakonoses), must faithfully exercise their respective pastoral competencies to foster the growth of faith in their dioceses, to protect dioceses against scandals, and to confront and resolve problems in their diocesan jurisdictions.  For their competence, their personal qualities must be as described by Paul (Titus 1:5-9).

What It Means to Love God, the Exemplary Cases of Two Widows Whose Offerings Are Altruistic – Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

Through the First Reading (Deuteronomy 6:2-6) and the Gospel Reading (Mark 12:28-34) of the 31st Sunday, we have been reminded to love God with all our hearts, all our minds, all our souls, and all our strength (Deuteronomy 6:5), as He is the Lord alone (Deuteronomy 6:4), and Jesus regards this as the most important commandment of all the 613 commandments in the Torah (Mark 12:29-30). In fact, in the Gospel Reading of the 31st Sunday, Jesus brought up the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves (Leviticus 19:18) as the second important commandment (Mark 12:31). By loving our neighbors as ourselves (Leviticus 19:18), the supreme commandment to love God with all our hearts, all our minds, all our souls, and all our strength (Deuteronomy 6:5) can be fulfilled. As God loved us first, we demonstrate our love to God also by loving His beloved children, our neighbors and ourselves (i.e. 1 John 4:7-11). 

The readings of Monday (Philippians 2:1-4; Luke 14:12-14) describe how we love our neighbors. It is with humility that we put others before ourselves, as we seek nothing for ourselves when we love (Philippians 2:3-4; cf. 1 Corinthains 13:5). It is also to make sure the poor and those who are in special needs due to disabilities are included (Luke 14:12-13). 

Both the First Reading (1 Kings17:10-16) and the Gospel Reading (Mark 12:38-44) of the 32nd Sunday describes what it means to love God with all our hearts, all our minds, all our souls, and all our strength (Deuteronomy 6:5) for He alone is the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:4).  Both of these readings feature a poor widow, who offers all she has left, for God. 

The widow in the First Reading (1 Kings17:10-16) offered up the very last batch of flour and oil to feed Elijah as commanded by God, though she was a Gentile living in Zarephath of Sidon. The flour and oil she had were for the very last sustenance for her and her son. After she and her son used them up, they would have nothing to eat any more. But rather than saving these for her and her son, the widow in Zarephath gave all of them to feed Elijah as commanded by God and asked by him. She did not withhold anything for her and her son. She did not resist when asked by Elijah, either. She simply offered them for Elijah, as it was commanded by God. 

In the Gospel Reading (Mark 12:38-44), Jesus calls the disciples’ attention to a poor widow, who drained her purse in making her offering in the Temple, while others offer out of their surplus. Though the actual amount this widow offered was only two small coins, Jesus tells her offering counts more than all other offerings, for she poured out all she had left. 

It is noteworthy that Jesus spoke of the widow’s offering of her livelihood not only in contrast to offerings of others but also to hypocritic vices of the scribes. He said:

Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation (Mark 12:38-40).

Not only they were narcissistic but also they were greedy as they devoured the houses of widows. Their greed prompted them to handle widow’s properties unjustly. Rather than taking care of them, as commended in the Law (Exodus 22:22), the scribes preyed upon them to make personal gains. 

In contrast, the widow held nothing for herself as she offered up her entire livelihood for God in the Temple (Mark 12:41-44).

The Second Reading of the 32nd Sunday (Hebrews 9:24-28) tells how God has loved us to save us (i.e. 1 John 4:9-10). He sent His beloved Son and let him offer himself as the redemptive sacrifice for us once for all. He let the Son empMarkty himself (Philippians 2:7). In response to this self-sacrificial love of God for us, we are commanded to love with all our hearts, all our minds, all our souls, and all our strength (Deuteronomy 6:5). As love does not prompt us to withhold anything for ourselves (Philippians 2:3-4; cf. 1 Corinthians 13:4), we love God by offering up all we have, as exemplified by the widow in the First Reading (1 Kings17:10-16) and by the widow in the Gospel Reading (Mark 12:38-44). 

As we love God and our neighbors, we do not count its cost on us, as love must be altruistic. It is actually to reflect the way God has loved us through Christ the Son, fulfilling the Father’s will, offered himself up, on the Cross. When God offered His only begotten Son, He did not withhold anything for Him, as the Son was completely given for us. So, as we love God, in return, we must be ready to offer our total selves for Him. 

How willing are we to give all we have for God and His will, which includes to love our neighbors as ourselves? How can we fight our tendency to count the costs in loving? 

In order for us to demonstrate our love of God altuistically, as exemplified by the widows in the First and Gospel Readings, we must trust God and His providence completely. This way, we have nothing to worry even though we offer everythig we have and the only thing left for ourselves. Otherwise, we would worry how we would live, And such worries would make us reluctant to offer our love to God. 

It is helpful to pray, as St. Ignatius of Loyola has, in loving God and our neighbors, fighting our self-serving interests:

Lord Jesus, teach us to serve you as you deserve; to give, and not to count the cost, to fight, and not to heed the wounds, to toil, and not to seek for rest, to labor, and not to ask for reward, except that of knowing that we are doing your will.

Take Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. You have given all to me. To you, O lord, I return it. All is yours, dispose of it wholly according to your will. Give me your love and your grace, for this is sufficient for me.  Amen. 

Remember, God does not simply receive what we offer. In return, He gives us back more than what we offer Him, as He did to the poor widow in Zarephath of Sidon (1 Kings 17:15-24). It is certain that God responded to the widow’s selfless offering in the Temple likewise. 

A Lesson from the Way the Unjust Steward Acted with Prudence for Correcting Our Sinful Misbehaviors - Feriday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time (Year II)

The Gospel Reading of Friday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time (Luke 16:1-8) is known as the parable of the shrewd steward because it is about how cleverly a steward responded to his master’s call of confrontation of his mismanagement of his property. It is also known as the parable of the unjust steward, as it is a story about a steward who squandered his master’s property. 

As the master became aware of his steward’s mishandling of his property, he confronted the steward, saying,” What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward” (Luke 16:2). To this, the steward shrewdly responded and worked with his masters’ clients, who were indebted to the master. What the steward did with the masters’ clients was to reduce their debts while he could still exercise his authority as his master’s steward. His motive to do this was selfish, as it was to curry favor from the master’s clients as reducing their debts sure appeared to be great kindness to them. In doing so, the steward was hoping that at least one of them would give him a job after termination of his employment for the master. 

In this parable, Jesus said that the master commended his dishonest steward for acting prudently. 

So why did Jesus give such a parable, saying that the master complimented his unjust steward? What is so prudent about the steward’s witty act for himself? 

To understand this, it is likely that the steward overcharged his master’s clients, inflating the amounts of their debts to the master so that he could pocket the difference between what he charged them and what they actually owed the master. Besides squandering the master’s property, the steward overcharged the master’s clients to make unjust gain for himself. And this indicates the greed of the steward. However, knowing that his misbehaviors costed his employment, the steward adjusted the debts of the master’s clients, forfeiting unjust gain for himself from the clients. This is the price he paid for a better chance to find a new employment from a happy client of his master, as they would think that the steward and his master were so generous to significantly reduce their debts. What was unbeknownst to them was that the steward overcharged them for his personal gain. 

If the master is a metaphor for God, then, it makes sense that the steward’s acts to the master’s clients were commended, as it can be considered as correcting his unjust acts. Basically, what the steward did at the end was to clean the mess he made so that he would not be so miserable even his employment for the master is terminated. 

Given that we read this parable at this time of a liturgical year, coming closer to its end, it makes sense to interpret that the master found his actions to his clients rather prudent than shrewd for correcting his unethical and selfish acts. So we learn a lesson that we shall correct our past mistakes and misbehaviors before the judgement day at the end of time, so that we may be saved. 

Of course, this parable is not about commending his selfish greedy behaviors. What is considered to be worthy of compliment is his clever prudence to give up unjust gain and correct his misbehavior to save himself from misery of hard labor or unemployment. 

As a liturgical year concludes with the week of the 34th Sunday, which is also known as “Christ the King Sunday”, we are coming closer to this liturgical year’s end, as we are about to end the 31st week in Ordinary Time. To prepare ourselves for the return of Christ as the King of all kings, who is coming to judge us, we must work hard in making mends to all our misbehaviors in the past. And Jesus wants us to be as prudent as the steward was in doing so. 

To signal our need to prepare ourselves for the end of time, the First Reading (Philippians 3:17-4:1)(Yeare II) reminds us of our true citizenship, which is in Christ’s heavenly Kingdom. But for us to enter in heaven, we must pass the judgement. That is why it is so important for us to correct our past mistakes so that we reduce our debts to our Master, God, by the time of our judgement. The way the steward in the Gospel Reading (Luke 16:1-8) corrected himself gives a unique example for this. And Jesus wants us to apply wit for our prudent self-corrections before the judgement. 

Following the parable (Luke 16:1-8), Jesus explained some applications of the parable’s lesson (Luke 16:9-13). In his, he rebukes dishonesty, which the steward committed, and greed, which prompted him to waste his master’s property and to try to collect more than the actual debts of the master’s debtors. 

According to Jesus, a point of the parable is:

No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (Luke 16:13).

Those who choose to serve mammon can be considered as “enemies of the Cross”(Philippians 3:18), according to Paul, who wrote:

Their end is destruction. Their God is their stomach; their glory is in their “shame.” Their minds are occupied with earthly things (Philippians 3:19).

If we truly consider our Master is God but we have sinned and therefore indebted to Him, waste no time in acting with prudent wit to correct ourselves, letting go of our attachment to whatever keep us from God, whether it is mammon or anything else, resolving our attachment to such things. And we can take a lesson from the way the unjust steward corrected his misconducts with his master’s debtors. 

Christ Has Found and Redeemed Us through His Blood (Thursday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time, Year II)

What do you make out of the scripture readings of Thursday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time, Year II, Philippians 3:3-8; Luke 15:1-10? 

Ther First Reading (Philippians 3:3-8), Paul addresses what Christian life is about to the nascent church in Philippi. He says that Christians are περιτομή/peritome), circumcision. This Greek word is derived from περιτέμνω (peritemno = to cut (τέμνω/temno)  around (περί/peri). Here, Paul is using this word not for a physical circumcision but spiritual circumcision to “cut” ourselves “around” carnal matters, which contribute to sins.  This way, Christians do not put confidence in flesh but boast in Christ. 

Here, Paul makes a contrast between “having confidence in flesh” and “boasting in Christ”. In the original Greek text, the former is “ἐν σαρκὶ πεποιθότες/en sarki pepoithotes”and the latter is “καυχώμενοι ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ/kauchomenoi en Christo Iesou”. Literally, “having confidence in flesh” means “having faith in flesh”, as “πεποιθότες/pepoithotes”(having confidence)  is derived from “πίστις/pistis”, which means “faith”. And “καυχώμενοι/kauchomenoi” means “glorifying” or “exulting”. Therefore, those who are spiritually circumcised glorify Christ and do not put their faith in flesh so that they can cut themselves around temptations from carnal desires. 

Then, Paul confesses:

Circumcised on the eighth day, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrew parentage, in observance of the law a Pharisee, in zeal I persecuted the church, in righteousness based on the law I was blameless.  But whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ. More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:7-11).

Paul describes himself as he was physically circumcised as a Jewish man but not so spiritually as he candidly admits that he had “confidence” in flesh before, though he was blameless according to the Law. Because of this, he persecuted the Church. However, upon his encounter with Christ, namely his conversion (Acts 9:1-19), he has become a new person, spiritually circumcised, as he has become able to cut himself around carnal desires, namely he was born from above into the Holy Spirit (John 3:3), into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3). This new birth of Paul into a life in the Holy Spirit upon his encounter with Christ also means that his previous life under the Law and influence of flesh has been crucified with Christ and finding him living in him (Galatians 2:20). And this is a new life in the Holy Spirit as adopted children of God (Romans 8:1-17).

In connection to the Gospel Reading (Luke 15:1-10), Paul was a lost sheep of Israel. He was wondering blindly under the Law, though he was perfect in its accordance, until Christ found him and brought him to his heard, the apostolic community.  So he became the newest apostle. 

In fact, it was not just Paul, whom Christ finds and brings into the flock of his sheep. As we have encountered Christ and been born from above into the Holy Spirit, we have been adopted as beloved children of God. But, for him to find us, he has redeemed us by shedding his blood on the Cross (i.e. Ephesians 1:17). 

The fourth servant song in the Book of Isaiah (52:13-53:12) reminds us that Christ died to redeem his lost sheep. We have gone astray, like lost sheep, as we have turned to our own ways, and God has laid our inequity on the Son (Isaiah 53:4-6). This means that Christ has found and redeemed those who have been lost through his death on the Cross, as the Good Shepherd, who lays his life down for his beloved sheep, and go find lost sheep that are not yet brought into his herd (i.e. John 10:11-18).

We are, indeed, cut around malicious carnal desires, and born into the Holy Spirit from above, because Christ has found us and redeemed us through his blood as we were lost to sins. 

The Supreme Commandment of Love is Twofold as It is Fulfilled by Our Eternal High Priest - Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

John writes to us:

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another (1 John 4:7-11).

God loved us first, and out of His love, He sent the Son. So out response to His love is to love. And to love, in response to God’s love is only to love God but also those who are created in God’s triune image (Genesis 1:26-27), whom we consider as our neighbors. Without love, as John says above, we really do not know God. If we did not know God, then, how could we love Him right? 

God is love (1 John 4:8,16), indeed, and His love has been revealed to us through the Son (1 John 4:9) and poured into us through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). That is why we are God’s beloved, as John calls us so. 

Through the First Reading (Deuteronomy 6:2-6) and the Gospel Reading (12:28b-34) of the 31str Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, we are reminded our love, in response to God’s love for us, is two-fold: to love God and to love our neighbors. 

In the Gospel Reading (Mark 12:28b-34), a Scribe asks Jesus what the most important command in the law is. To this, Jesus answers:

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” (Mark 12:29-31).

In the first part: ‘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’(vv. 29-30), Jesus quotes Moses’s shemah commandment to the Israelites:

Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). 

The most important commandment to love God with our all hearts, with our all souls, and with all our minds, and with all our strengths, because He alone is the Lord, is known as shema command, and it is of Jewish daily shema prayer. The Hebrew word, “shema”( שָׁמַע) means “to hear”.  

“The Lord is our God, the Lord alone”(Deuteronomy 6:4) reflects the first commandment of the Decalogue:

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall not have other gods beside me (Exodus 20:2-3).

Moses specifically instructs the Israelites to attentively pray with this commandment multiple times everyday, and to teach their children, and to bind what is heard: the Lord alone is God and to love God with our total being on their arms, hang these on their foreheads, and write these words on their doorposts, as they take these to their hearts (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).

Jesus teaches that the most important commandment (mitzvah) out of 613 commandments (mitzvot) in Torah is to love God with our total being (Deuteronomy 6:5), and the second important one is to love our neighbors as ourselves (Leviticus 19:18). It means, if we truly love God with our whole hearts, and with our whole souls, and with our whole strengths, we also love our neighbors as ourselves. 

The one who teaches commandments of love this way is Jesus, who is the supreme and eternal high priest, unlike a Levite high priest, a descendant of Aaron, as described in the Second Reading (Hebrews 7:23-28). Because Jesus is the eternal high priest of the order of Melchizedek, as described in the Second Reading of the 30th Sunday (Hebrews 5:1-6), he does not need to offer Yom Kippur sacrifice year after year, because not only he is the eternal high priest but also he offered himself as the sacrifice for atonement once for all (Hebrew 7:27; cf. 9:25-26). 

It is important to note that Jesus’ eternal and supreme priesthood is beyond the law, because God appointed him to be the eternal priest of the Melchizedek’s order not under the law but by his direct oath (Hebrews 7:28). In fact, this eternal high priest, not under the law, Jesus the Christ, has come to fulfill both the Law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17). And he has given us the new commandment, which is to love one another as he has loved us, for observing this commandment of love makes us his disciples (John 13:34-35). 

So it is Jesus’ way to fulfill the most important commandment to love God (Deuteronomy 6:5) with the second important commandment to love our neighbors (Leviticus 19:18). Observing this set of important commandments means that we truly love God in response to His love for us (1 John 4:7-19). And Paul reminds us that without love, all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, our faith, and our work of it, would be in vein (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). And the supreme commandment to love is two-fold: to love God and to love our neighbors, as Jesus has fulfilled. 

The background of the Gospel Reading (Mark 12:28-34) is as below. 

After restoring sight of Bartimaeus as he was leaving Jericho, as described in the Gospel Reading of the 30th Sunday (Mark 10:46-52), Jesus and his disciples kept moving forward to Jerusalem, to suffer, die, and to be raised. 

Now Jesus is in Jerusalem (i.e. Mark 11:1-11). He foresees the destruction of this corrupted Temple, being reduced to a den of thieves (Mark 11:17). So he metaphorically puts it as a barren fig tree that he cursed (Mark 11:12-14). He cleanses the Temple (Mark 11:15-17). This has intensified religious leaders’ hostility toward Jesus (Mark 11:18) and prompted them to question his authority (Mark 11:27-33). Jesus is fully aware of their intention to kill him. So he spoke the parable of the wicked tenant vineyard worker to address these religious leaders iniquitous hearts (Mark 12:1-12). Then, some Pharisees and Herodians tried to trap Jesus in his own words by asking him a question of paying tax but they failed (Mark 12:13-17). After this, some Sadducees, who did not believe resurrection, tried to make Jesus contradict his teaching of resurrection but failed (Mark 12:18-27). Then, a Scribe asked Jesus his view on the most important commandment, as described in the  Gospel Reading of the 31st Sunday (Mark 12:28-34). 

After this, nobody dared to challenge Jesus (Mark 12:34).