Friday of
the 3rd Week of Lent
March 4,
2016 8:30am
There are a number of places in
the gospels where the scribes, the Pharisees and the Sadducees come across
pretty badly.
They seem legalistic and and
taken up with their own self-importance.
Jesus at times is really rough on
them.
He calls them hypocrites.
So, in that context we have
today’s passage where one of these scribes asks Jesus which is the greatest
commandment.
And, by the way, the scribes were
the scholars of the religious law.
There were hundreds of laws and
they were very complex.
Some of these scribes were trying
to get at the very foundation or core of the law.
We all know Jesus’ answer and
this scribe immediately affirms it.
And the passage says that “Jesus saw that he answered with understanding.”
I have read that this is the only
place in the Gospels where this word “understanding”
or “insight” is used.
So a significant thing that I see
here and have never thought about before is that Jesus treats this scribe as a
person.
He doesn’t judge him by
appearance.
He doesn’t stereotype him as necessarily
being like the image of the group of which he is a member.
Instead, Jesus treats him as a
person, as a unique individual.
And, right in that, he gives us a
great lesson about the commandments of love that he has just taught.
Take others as persons.
Give them a chance.
Give them the benefit of the
doubt.
Do not judge them by appearance.
Do not stereotype them.
A great lesson in living the
commandment of love!
