Bible Text: Mark 12:28-34 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes
In the 1950s Fred Rogers was studying in a Presbyterian Seminary when he turned on the television in his parent’s home and was disgusted by what was on. He couldn’t believe that such a medium was being used to spread such rubbish. I can’t help but wonder what he would think of the television programs these days! But it was upon seeing these shows that he decided that instead of being upset by it he would make a difference. In one interview he said, “I went into television because I hated it so, and I thought there’s some way of using this fabulous instrument to nurture those who would watch and listen.” There’s actually a Canadian connection to this story because in 1963, after graduating from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and following his ordination into the Presbyterian Church (USA) Fred moved to Toronto and was contracted by the CBC to develop a short 15 minute children’s program entitled, Mr. Rogers. As a side note, Fred brought a friend of his along to Canada to work as an understudy, Ernie Coombs would end up staying in Canada and creating Mr. Dressup. Fred moved back to Pittsburgh and acquired the rights to Mr. Rogers where the show took off. The show ran from 1968-2001, making it one of the longest children’s programs to ever air on television. As a result few children’s entertainers have ever been able to span so many generations. I know I loved it when we would go on the magical trolley to the neighbourhood of make-believe and visit King Friday and Sara Saturday, both of which were also performed by Mr. Rogers. Each episode began the same with Mr. Rogers coming into his home, changing into his signature sweater and sneakers and singing his theme song, “It’s a beautiful day int he neighbourhood, a beautiful day for a neighbour, would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won’t you be my neighbour.” Often neighbours would drop in to teach the viewing audience something wholesome.
Last year Maclean’s magazine published an article entitled “The End of neighbours” and stated that, “More than 30% of Canadians now say they feel disconnected from their neighbours, while half of Americans admit they don’t know the names of theirs and a recent poll of 2, 000 Britons found a third declaring they couldn’t pick their near neighbours out of a police lineup.” My feeling is that this trend while definitely on the rise, hasn’t quite hit the Comox valley yet. Many of us get a long with our neighbours…and I’m not just saying that because some of mine are here. The question today is in part, who are our neighbours? And how does our relationship with our neighbours, both literally and allegorically, affect our relationship with God?
Debates about “the law” what the Hebrew tradition calls the Torah is very much a part of the entire Gospel story. After all Jesus often challenged the law and those who sought to maintain it. Sometimes Jesus’ remarks changed the laws all together and most of the time he commented more on how the law was perceived. Over time as Jesus confronted this issue those in power conspired to kill Jesus. Today’s debate or rather conversation in Mark is very different.
One of the scribes over hears Jesus and his followers debating and disputing among themselves. The scribe is impressed with Jesus’ abilities and decides to ask him a question based not on a trick but because the scribe feels Jesus would know the answer. Already this experience is radically different from those other conversations with scribes, Pharisees and Saduccees. This scribe has no hidden agenda but rather simply wants to know Jesus’ take on the greatest of all the commandments. But equally surprising is that Jesus responds with the words this scribe wants to hear. Jesus says, “The first commandment is this, Hear, O Israel: you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” This comes from Deuteronomy and is known as “the Shema” because the first word in Hebrew is Shema or “Hear.” This phrase is read out at every gathering within the Synagogue and Temple and it is the first Hebrew words a Biblical Scholar learns, “Sh’ma Yis’ra’eil Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad.” It is rare to find Jesus responding with such well known and anticipated answers. Just as this scribe is not trying to trick Jesus, so Jesus is not trying to aggravate the scribe.
Jesus does, however, use this passage from Deuteronomy as a launching point into further discussion. Jesus underscores God’s desire for a relationship with God’s people. But also that one’s love for God must include the whole person, heart, soul, mind and strength. One’s love for God not only involves the whole person but love for others.
While it was not asked of him Jesus then responds with the second greatest commandment, “Love your neighbour as yourself.” This passage comes from Leviticus 19:18. The reason, however, that Jesus includes this is not because they are two separate commandments but rather because they are so intertwined that they cannot be separated. Love of God issues in love of neighbour and of course, love for the neighbour demonstrates love for God. In a society where we face the end of the neighbour, while perhaps a trivial example, it reminds us just how much our love for one another is at the heart of our love for God.
Jesus often argued, frustrated and concerned the scribes but in this story controversies come to an end. The two agree. In fact, the scribe surprises us by affirming that these are not only important laws but more important than offering burnt offerings and sacrifices. Expressing love, far outweighs offerings. While this comes from the scribe, it seems like something Jesus would have said. To bring this point home, Jesus and the scribe agree, and love one another. These two people, who are often portrayed as enemies in the Bible, meet together and agree on the greatest commandments. In the scribe’s remark Jesus sees that he truly understands and acknowledges that the scribe is not far from the kingdom.
Who is our neighbour? It’s the young skateboarders who use our drive way to practice tricks. It’s the dog walkers who use our yard. It’s the atheist on the bus. It’s the single parents who walk their children around the block. It’s the staff at Quality Foods. It’s the seniors in the stratas. It’s the gay teen. It’s the developer on Neptune St. It’s the new Muslim family. It’s all of us, AND it’s all of them. In fact, like those two commandments, there are no distinctions but rather our neighbours are so intertwined with who we are as a church. Emerson Powery says, “Stories like this one, rare as they are within the Christian canon, must drive us to become more willing to open up to the other, including the faithful people within our own religious tradition and those without…By this respect for our neighbour, we carry out the mission of human dignity, which in turn represents a love for God. ” It rests upon us to turn to those beside us, those who have yet to walk into our doors and those who merely reside next to us and invite them to be our neighbours because if we do not love our neighbour, we do not love God. So what do you say, “would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won’t you be my neighbour.” Amen