How Awful Is That?

Mark 12:35-44

As someone who leads worship on a regular basis I was a bit put off by a verse from Mark’s gospel today. Warning his listeners about the scribes Jesus says, in part, “They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation” (Mark 12:40). Really? Long prayers are morally equivalent to devouring the homes of widows? If this is true then I’m in big trouble. But this is really not the what Jesus is saying. The lengthy prayers that Jesus is talking about are made “for the sake of appearance,” not as a true act of faith. In other words, the scribes often practice a phony religion with prayers intended to attract attention to themselves and not to praise and worship God. And while dubious prayers may still seem mild compared to the eviction of widows, they do point to a greater truth. Our relationship with God says a lot about how we are apt to treat others. If we are praying, or worshiping, or showing up for church just so others will see us and be impressed, then we are really no better than those who mistreat their neighbors and take advantage of the defenseless.

Does that sound familiar? It should. This is just an extension of the gospel reading from yesterday, where Jesus said that love of God and love of neighbor are the two greatest commandments. It is impossible to do one adequately without doing the other as well. Insulting God with meaningless prayers IS the moral equivalent of mistreating one’s neighbors because not loving God is essentially the same as not loving those around us, and vice versa. So, it really isn’t the length of ours prayers that Jesus is warning us about-what a relief!-it is what those prayers say about us, how we feel about God, how we feel about each other.

Prayer: Lord, help us to love you and to love those around us. Amen.

Someone Was Paying Attention

Mark 12:28-34

According to Mark’s gospel, a scribe asked Jesus an honest question, “Which is the greatest of all the laws?” Jesus’ answer was two-fold. First he quoted from Deuteronomy 6 that there is only one God who must be worshiped with every ounce of our being. Then he reminded his listeners to love their neighbors as much as they loved their own lives. “You are right, Teacher,” said the scribe. “You have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’- this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Mark 12:32-33).

The scribe’s reply pleased Jesus, but it should also encourage us. Christianity is not an impossible muddle of things to do and not to do. Nor is it one giant “NO” as some would suggest. A life of discipleship in Jesus Christ is a life oriented in the right direction and lived along the right path. It is a challenge, to be sure, but it also offers times of joy and of peace, for when we truly share in the lives of those around us and when we strive to put God first in our living we are enabled to live as those freed from the fear of death and open to the forgiveness that God alone offers. Everything else flows from these two principles: Love God above all, and love neighbor with honest concern.

Easier said than done, I know, but these commandments are pretty clear cut and are not that difficult to gage in our living. In fact, pay attention to what you do today. When do you do the best job of following God’s will and when do you fall short? When do you show the most love for your neighbors and when do you struggle to put up with them? With practice I think we can all become more aware of our actions and can become more faithful and obedient to God at the same time.

Prayer: Lord, help us to love you with all that are, and help us to support and care for one another. In this way may we serve you and give glory to your name. Amen.