I say Mass monthly at the local Catholic elementary school where some of the students are parishioners of All Saints.  On one of my visits, I saw a first grader receiving remedial math tutoring from a teacher’s aide.  The youngster recognized me and, with an exasperated look on his face, asked, “Fr. Alan, did you have to do math when you were my age?”  I responded, “Yes, I had to do math; it’s unavoidable.” 

I’m only guessing, but I would say that the young fellow probably continued to struggle with mathematics, even after First Grade.  There’s nothing shameful or unusual about struggling with math or any other academic subject.  Some activities require great effort.  Today’s Gospel reading describes two such activities. 

The scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem are often depicted pejoratively in the Gospels, but the fellow who converses with Jesus in today’s reading from Mark doesn’t fit in the expected categories.  He asked Jesus, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” (Mk 12:28)  The question wasn’t meant to be a challenge or an attempt to trick Jesus.  The fellow’s assessment of Jesus’ response tells us that the question was intended to initiate a serious, devout discussion of faithful religious practice. 

Jesus recognized the scribe’s faith and the sincerity of the question.  His response, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” indicates that Jesus considered this man to have an authentic trust in God.  Neither the scribe’s question, nor Jesus’ response, were intended to challenge the legitimacy of the person being addressed, but both indicate the real challenge involved in being faithful to God. 

In response to the scribe’s question about the greatest commandment, Jesus quoted two passages of Scripture.  He said that the whole Law of Moses is expressed in the commands to love God wholeheartedly and to love one’s neighbor as one loves oneself. (Mk 12:29-31)  This is an accurate summary of the teaching of the Scriptures, but it is not an easy task to accomplish. 

Authentic faith in God requires that one love God above all else and that one treat other people in the way one wants to be treated.  Any person who undertakes to accomplish these commandments might find them to be fulltime occupations.  Moreover, loving God wholeheartedly and loving neighbor as oneself might be such expansive tasks as to require more than a single lifetime to complete. 

In light of the monumental challenge posed by these two commandments, one might ask whether it’s worth the struggle to try to follow Jesus’ teachings.  After all, the same Scriptures that proclaim these commands also proclaim that God loves all God’s creatures unconditionally.  If God loves us unconditionally, that is, without regard to our actions, wouldn’t it be much easier to accept God’s love but reject the burden of keeping God’s commands? 

While it might seem expedient to avoid the challenge of following God’s commandments, there is a very good reason for taking up the challenge despite the improbability of fulfilling it completely. 

In a very real sense, it makes no difference to God whether or not a person follows the commandments.  Those who choose to live sinful, selfish lives do no harm to God.  Nor does sin diminish God’s love.  God isn’t diminished or offended by sin, but human nature is. 

God loves us unconditionally, but for a specific goal.  God’s unconditional love for all God’s creatures is intended to teach us how to love appropriately. 

Ask anyone, and they’ll tell you that they’re a good and loving person.  Ask the worst sinner in human history, and you’ll get the same response that you’ll get from the greatest saint.  This is for the simple reason that human nature is incapable of judging itself accurately.  We need to respond in obedience and faith to God’s will because doing so provides us with the only possibility of learning what real goodness is and how we are to lead good lives. 

No one would buy gasoline from a gas station that uses a subjective interpretation of what constitutes a gallon.  In the same way, no one should trust a definition of love that is purely subjective.  The only trustworthy definition of love is an objective one; for this reason, we make an effort to come to know God and follow God’s will.  God’s unconditional love for God’s creatures is unchanging – for our benefit – specifically, so that we can learn a true and reliable definition of love and then, practice that sort of love on a habitual basis. 

Every baptized person is obliged to love God above all else and to love other people as they love themselves.  Despite the immensity of this challenge, it is worth pursuing because it is the only guarantee we have that we are truly good and loving people.