1st Reading – Deuteronomy 6:2-6
Moses spoke to the people, saying:
“Fear the LORD, your God,
and keep, throughout the days of your lives,
all his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you,
and thus have long life.
Hear then, Israel, and be careful to observe them,
that you may grow and prosper the more,
in keeping with the promise of the LORD, the God of your fathers,
to give you a land flowing with milk and honey.
“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!
Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God,
with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your strength.
Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today.”
Just before his death, God charged Moses to again proclaim the Law he received at Mount Sinai to the Israelites before they crossed the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land. This re-proclamation constitutes the book of Deuteronomy, the fifth and last book of the Pentateuch. The name is derived from the Greek word deuteronomion, or second law – not to indicate a new law, but a second telling of the Law.
Moses’ audience is the new generation of Israelites: all those who would have been age 20 or younger when the great exodus began 40 years earlier. In having the Law restated, Yahweh is reminding them that his covenant with Israel is made with all generations (29:13), both present and future: it is an everlasting covenant.
In today’s reading, Moses has just finished teaching them the Ten Commandments and now calls on them to remain faithful to the covenant of the Lord.
Moses spoke to the people saying: “Fear the LORD, your God, and keep, throughout the days of your lives, all his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you, and thus have long life.
Moses is instructing them on how they are to act once they enter the Promised Land. Obedience to God will ensure the blessings of long life and prosperity.
In the Bible, fear of the LORD is a central and distinguishing characteristic of the righteous person. This fear is not a paralyzing dread but rather a deep reverence, awe, and respect for God and his ways.
Hear then, Israel, and be careful to observe them, that you may grow and prosper the more, in keeping with the promise of the LORD, the God of your fathers, to give you a land flowing with milk and honey.
Moses reminds Israel of God’s covenant promises, including prosperity and abundance in the Promised Land.
The phrase “land flowing with milk and honey” symbolizes fertility and divine provision. Obedience to God’s commands is framed as the pathway to receiving these blessings, showing the connection between God’s faithfulness and Israel’s response.
“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!
This is the Shema, a central declaration of the Jewish faith. The word shema is a command that means “hear” or “listen”; in the biblical context, it carries a directive to also obey and act upon what is heard.
The Shema is a profession of faith in the one God to whom belongs Israel’s exclusive and undivided attention, commitment, and worship. It is a clear, solemn profession of monotheism, a distinctive feature of Israel among its neighboring nations.
It remains a key prayer in Jewish worship and encapsulates the principle of divine sovereignty.
“Since God is one, it is ridiculous to suppose that there could be still another ‘Lord’ of heaven and earth in addition to the Lord who is one. There is simply no room for a second Lord of all, if the one true God fills all things in the compass of heaven and earth” [Saint Athanasius (ca. 318 AD), Treatise Against the Pagans, 6,4].
Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.
Moses commands wholehearted devotion to God, a love that involves every part of one’s being. This love is not limited to emotion but extends to our innermost faculties: the heart — where thoughts, intentions, and desires originate; the soul — our very life and essence; and all our strength — both physical and mental energies.
Such devotion requires more than outward obedience to the law; it demands an inner transformation, where our thoughts, emotions, and will are fully aligned with God’s purposes.
Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today.”
Moses calls the Israelites to deep reflection and personal commitment to live out God’s will. The law is not just a set of external rules but something to be engraved on the heart, guiding thoughts, decisions, and actions.
Together, these verses form the theological foundation for Israel’s covenant relationship with God, which calls for a life centered on the recognition of God’s unique authority and the total devotion of his people.
Nothing is more important.
2nd Reading – Hebrews 7:23-28
Brothers and sisters:
The levitical priests were many
because they were prevented by death from remaining in office,
but Jesus, because he remains forever,
has a priesthood that does not pass away.
Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him,
since he lives forever to make intercession for them.
It was fitting that we should have such a high priest:
holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners,
higher than the heavens.
He has no need, as did the high priests,
to offer sacrifice day after day,
first for his own sins and then for those of the people;
he did that once for all when he offered himself.
For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests,
but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law,
appoints a son,
who has been made perfect forever.
Today’s second reading highlights the unique and eternal priesthood of Jesus Christ, contrasting it with the temporary priesthood of the Levitical priests in the Old Covenant.
Brothers and sisters: The levitical priests were many because they were prevented by death from remaining in office,
The author points out the temporal nature of the levitical priests, who served in shifts due to mortality. They were numerous not by choice but by necessity since no single priest could serve indefinitely.
but he, because he remains forever, has a priesthood that does not pass away.
In contrast, Jesus’ priesthood is eternal. This permanence establishes a new, unbreakable continuity in intercession.
Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them.
Christ’s ability to save is complete and totally sufficient; his intercession is continuous and ongoing.
All can now approach God through him, forever.
It was fitting that we should have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners,
The four characteristics of holiness listed here correspond with the cultic purity required by the Levitical priests (Leviticus 21:6-8, Leviticus 21:17-23, Numbers 18:7).
Christ clearly meets each of these requirements.
higher than the heavens.
Jesus is also “exalted above the heavens,” indicating his supreme authority and closeness to God.
This elevates the requirements for the priesthood out of the cultic realm and into heavenly transcendence — requirements that no human priest can meet.
He has no need, as did the high priests, to offer sacrifice day after day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did that once for all when he offered himself.
This verse emphasizes the singularity and sufficiency of Jesus’ sacrifice, contrasting it with the daily sacrifices required in the old priesthood. Unlike human priests, Jesus had no need to atone for his own sins; his single, self-giving act was sufficient for all time.
Christ’s perfect sacrifice has accomplished “once and for all” what the continuous offerings of the Levitical priesthood could not.
For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests, but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law, appoints a son, who has been made perfect forever.
The Levitical law established the priesthood through Aaron (Exodus 28:1; Numbers 3:10; Leviticus 8). They were members of a distinguished priesthood, but they were sinners nonetheless.
Here the author contrasts those priests with the perfection of Jesus, appointed by an eternal oath from God. This oath, referenced earlier in Hebrews (Psalm 110:4), establishes Jesus as the eternal High Priest, a title he fulfills perfectly.
Not only is Jesus the perfect sacrifice, he is the perfect high priest. By his perfect self-sacrifice, Jesus offers salvation to the whole human race.
Gospel – Mark 12:28-34
One of the scribes came to Jesus and 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.
It is in this highly tense setting that we meet a very unusual scribe.
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?”
Amid the confrontations between Jesus and the religious leaders, a scribe approaches with a question that had long been debated, as Jewish Law contained over 600 commandments.
Jesus has every reason to be suspicious, as he has been verbally sparring with powerful figures who were hoping to entrap him with statements that could lead to his arrest.
Scribes in Mark’s gospel are frequently legalistic people who are also trying to trap Jesus. Will this scribe be like the others?
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.’
Despite all that has happened, Jesus answers the scribe’s question thoroughly and in a manner that the scribe could accept; that is, he quotes the law.
Jesus begins his answer with the Shema, a central declaration of Jewish faith from our first reading, affirming the oneness of God. By beginning with this declaration, Jesus reminds his audience of God’s unique and undivided authority, which is essential for understanding the following commandment.
Note that Jesus adds “with all your mind,” to the passage from Deuteronomy, presumably to emphasize the importance of intellectual engagement in loving God. Devotion to God encompasses not only emotions and the will but also thought and reason.
The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Although the scribe had asked only for the first of all the commandments, Jesus adds a second. He quotes Leviticus 19:18.
This commandment extends the love due to God to fellow human beings, making compassion and respect for others an inseparable part of true devotion. By pairing love for God with love for neighbor, Jesus reveals that these two commands are deeply interconnected; genuine love for God naturally manifests as love for others. This answer elevates both commandments, affirming them as the foundation of God’s Law.
“This is the summit of virtue, the foundation of all God’s commandments: to the love of God is joined also love of neighbor. One who loves God does not neglect his brother, nor esteem money more than a limb of his own, but shows him great generosity, mindful of him who has said, ‘Whoever did it to the least of my brothers did it to me.’ He is aware that the Lord of all considers as done to Himself what is done in generosity to the poor in giving relief. He does not take into consideration the lowly appearance of the poor, but the greatness of the One who has promised to accept as done to Himself what is given to the poor” [Saint John Chrysostom (388 AD), Homilies On Genesis, 55,12].
The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, ‘He is One and there is no other than he.’
The scribe recognizes Jesus’ response as both accurate and profound. He calls him “teacher,” which is a significant sign of respect coming from an official interpreter of the law.
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.”
The scribe expands on Jesus’ answer, demonstrating his skills of interpretation by merging the two pronouncements of Jesus and deepening them by echoing Hosea 6:6 and 1 Samuel 15:22.
Throughout Mark’s gospel, the religious leaders often approach Jesus with hostility or the intent to trap him, with their interactions ending in anger or resentment. This scribe’s positive response breaks from that pattern, showing an unexpected openness.
This respectful exchange sets the scene for Jesus’ encouraging reply that will follow. It may also subtly foreshadow the possibility of a deeper reconciliation between Jesus’ teachings and traditional Jewish beliefs about the Law.
“My brothers, shun not only the holding, but even the hearing, of the judgment that bans mercy. For mercy is better than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices” [Pope Saint Callistus I (ca. 217 AD), Second Epistle to All the Bishops of Gaul, 6].
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
Recognizing the scribe’s openness and insight, Jesus affirms that he is “not far from the kingdom of God.” This commendation indicates that a proper grasp of God’s commandments brings one close to God’s kingdom, an invitation to see the Law as a pathway to spiritual fulfillment.
Like the rich man in Mark Chapter 10, the scribe is on the threshold of the reign of God; however, unlike the rich man, Jesus doesn’t say “there is one more thing” (Mark 10:21). This scribe has no impediments.
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
The encounter leaves a lasting impact, as others hesitate to question Jesus further. After all, what else was there to ask? What other answer could be given?
There is a striking contrast between the intent of the Pharisees and Herodians present, who wanted to trap Jesus (Mark 12:13), and the outcome. Rather than being ensnared, Jesus provided answers that are not only correct but resonate deeply with the values of the Jewish tradition.
Connections and Themes
God’s covenant. The central theme of this week’s readings is the profound role of God’s covenant in the lives of his people. In the first reading, we are reminded that the covenant originates from God, who is one and holy, and who calls his people to exclusive devotion and obedience. The second reading presents Jesus Christ as the mediator of this covenant, the great high priest who, through his perfect sacrifice, bridges the gap between God and humanity created by sin. Finally, the gospel reading reveals that the essence and fulfillment of this covenant is love: love for God and love for neighbor.
The covenant is not merely a set of laws but a life-giving relationship with God, embodied in love, made perfect through Jesus Christ, and meant to transform the lives of his people.
Hear, O Israel. Israel is called by God; God is the initiator. To what was Israel called? To what were Jesus’ disciples called? To what are we called? We are called to a covenant relationship with the Lord. This is no ordinary bond; it is an invitation to a deep, personal relationship with the Creator of the universe — the very One who has counted each hair on our heads (Matthew 10:30).
We’ve heard this so often it has become commonplace — we forget how profound it is. It is good to be shaken to our senses: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone!”
Love is the greatest commandment. It has been said that falling in love with God is the central act of the religious person. It is certainly the central act of the covenant — we are to love God and others with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength. If we can fall in love with God, if we can see in each other the image that God loves so passionately, we too will be close to the reign of God.
Sunday Readings 