Listening With Humility

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 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.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; 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.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.

Mark 12:28-34

The Gospel of Mark shows us the perspective of the teachers and religious leaders through this interaction. We can see some of what they thought about Jesus. They’re vetting this grass-roots teacher. Jesus didn’t have the lifelong education and training they had. He didn’t go to seminary, he wasn’t affiliated with a mega-church, and the fringe people in society were drawn to his teaching. The religious leaders needed to check out his theology because their people were listening to Jesus.

Not only was Jesus teaching without their permission, but he often added another layer of thought that implicated the religious leaders somehow. Sometimes he broke the laws found in the Scriptures—evidence for them that something was amiss. Some of the people were supporting him financially. That’s money that should have been given in support of the temple. This blue-collar teacher was only of concern because the crowds loved him. How would the religious leaders get anyone to follow all of the carefully taught laws if this cultural icon was breaking them?

Some of the religious leaders who challenged Jesus were trying to stop him at all costs, but some were sincere. Some were doing their due diligence. As people responsible for the spiritual care of the masses, they wanted to make sure the people weren’t being duped by a false teacher. This interaction is one of those sincere conversations.

A Sincere Vetting

This scribe is testing Jesus on his understanding of the law and is pleased with his answer. The scribe understands the heart of the law, and affirms Jesus. This scribe adds on to the answer Jesus gave, to explain why it was correct. This could easily look like hubris–this scribe is explaining to God why he answered correctly about his own law. If we look at it through the lens of the scribe, he just sees a man teaching crowds, who answered an important question correctly. The scribe wants to make sure Jesus understands his answer.

Here’s where I want to pull on the brakes before we get to the punchline. Let’s flip the conversation around and look at it through the lens of Jesus. You might think you were already doing that if you’re a Christian, but rooting for Jesus is different than being Jesus. We can’t know his lens, but let’s guess at it.

Jesus, as God, is walking among his creation. He’s God incarnate as a human, but still sees everyone he meets as a beloved child, an image bearer of God. The scribes, lawyers, and Pharisees see him as an anomaly or a threat and often oppose him. Like any group, they are made up of individuals who have their own opinion about Jesus. When they question him they have different motives, which Jesus perceived. When this particular scribe questions Jesus, he humbly answers him. Jesus loved him, perceived his sincerity, and gave him a straightforward answer. We see the scribe’s sincerity after he responded.

Don’t Interact on Auto-Pilot

Pause right there. One takeaway from this story is that each interaction you have with people should be a fresh interaction. Certainly, societal groups have similarities among their members, which is why they gravitate towards each other. Some groups should be avoided if they pose a danger. Jesus certainly avoided danger at times. However, once we’re conversing with a single person, we need to remind ourselves to stop thinking in categories and soundbites. We need to listen and engage in the nuances of that conversation. Especially when the person is part of a group in which we don’t belong.

Listen Closely, Respond Honestly

Jesus listened with humility and gave a forthright answer. Even in his corrective at the end where he tells the scribe he’s not far from the kingdom of God, I hear Jesus saying this gently. He’s trying to reach this man within his context. Another example of this is Nicodemus, who was sincere in his questions. After an honest conversation with Jesus, he went from questioning Jesus to questioning his fellow Pharisees.

Unlike Jesus, we can’t clearly see another person’s motives. We need to use wisdom and intuition when we interact with people, especially if they’re a part of a group that’s dangerous to us. As we interact, let’s not be satisfied with lumping people into categories, but instead listen closely and interact with humble honesty.

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