Friday March 24
In contrast to the stubborn people (in yesterday’s readings) who refuse to listen to God’s voice and feel His finger, today we have a teacher of the Law who soulfully listens to Jesus and recognizes the truth of his words. Now he wants to know, in Jesus’s very own voice, what the greatest commandment is. Having made active listening a habit of the soul, the teacher then recognizes in the voice of Jesus the ancient truth of the commandments he had found in Scripture, and he completely agrees with what Jesus said. He recognizes in Jesus the very same voice of God whom his ancestors heard. Jesus is quick to perceive and approve of the man’s integrity and gives him his vote of confidence: “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” Anyone who truly listens to the voice of God and recognizes its truthfulness cannot be far away from the kingdom. Let us resolve to walk within hearing range of God.
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Jewish tradition lists 365 prohibitions, one for each day of the year, and 248 positive commandments, as many as the components of the human body according to the anatomy of the time. The scribes were arguing about the order of importance of these commandments. Jesus points to the first and the core of these commands which is not about a way of behaving but the radical attitude that governs all commandments: love of God and neighbor. Just as a father does not love his children for only a few hours a day or when it’s his turn to do so, thus must a Christian love in every thought and action.