Homily on Mark 12:28b-34:The Greatest Commandment

Homily on Mark 12:28b-34:The Greatest Commandment – Love God, Love Your Neighbour ( Friday the 28th of March 2025)

Praise be to Jesus Christ

  There was a young boy in a village who used to ask many questions. One day, he met a wise man and asked him, “What could be the greatest knowledge in life?” The old wise man remained silent for a moment and replied, the greatest knowledge in life is “To love.” His answer pleased the boy but after thinking for a moment the boy asked again, “What is the greatest action in life?” This time the wise man answered immediately, “To love.” Fascinated and still curious, the boy asked a third question, “What is the greatest reward in life?” The old man gently said with a simile it is “To love.”

In today’s Gospel Jesus is asked a similar question, “Which commandment is the greatest?” (Mk 12:28).  To this question, Jesus does not give a new answer but just repeats the old answer from the book of Deuteronomy: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with your entire mind, and with all your strength.” And from the book of Leviticus: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” These two commandments are the foundation of everything. In essence, love of God and love of neighbour is the answer of Jesus. Very simply, the answer is ‘TO LOVE’

 We may ask what exactly is the core of this LOVE?  Love is not just a feeling but it is a decision to put God first in everything and open our hearts to all those who are in need. That means it is a choice to treat others with kindness, even when we are presented with great difficult. Therefore we can understand that love is the greatest wisdom, the greatest action, and the greatest reward. Saint Paul puts it very clearly “If I have all knowledge but do not have love, I am nothing.” We may know and understand many things about faith and about hope, but if we do not actually live love, we cannot be close to God.

 The most important thing that we notice in today’s gospel is that it is not enough that we know the thing but we need to practice it as knowledge alone is not enough. This is why Jesus says to the scribe, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”  Understanding is also not enough. The question is not just “Do we know?” but “Do we live?” Many people ask deep questions about what faith really is, just as the Pharisees and Sadducees did in the New Testament. But how many truly live what they learn?

Saint Teresa of Avila reminds us that “The important thing is not to think much but to love much.” A person could memorise every Bible verse, but if one does not practice love, he/she may not have truly understood God. The Kingdom of God is not for those who know the right answers but it is for those who live the right way.

 Accordingly, Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel to love God with our whole heart. It clearly means that God does not accept a love that is divided and insincere. True love means total surrender to God in everything.

Jesus also tells us to love our neighbour as ourselves.  As we meditate on this Gospel passage, we must ask ourselves: how do we treat our fellow beings? Do we speak words of kindness to them or do we gossip and hurt others with our rude words? Do we forgive unconditionally, as God forgives us, or do we hold grudges in our hearts? As we know, it is easy to love those who love us, nevertheless, the real test of our faith lies in loving those  with whom we have difficulty ,  just as Jesus loved everyone, even those who persecuted him.

Love is not just an emotion; it is an action. It is choosing to serve, to forgive, to be patient, to give without expecting anything in return. This is the love that brings us closer to the Kingdom of God. As we are in the Lenten season let us try to make an extra effort TO LOVE. In this way let us not only understand with our minds but also live what Jesus teaches us in everything we do in our daily lives.

Let us pray : Lord, teach us to love You with all our heart and to love our neighbour as ourselves. Amen.

If you find this reflection meaningful and useful, please share it with others

God Bless…