Henri Nouwen wrote, “Self-knowledge and self-love are the fruit of knowing and loving God. You can see better then what is intended by the great commandment to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself.” Laying our hearts totally open to God leads to a love of ourselves that enables us to give wholehearted love to our fellow human beings. In the seclusion of our hearts we learn to know the hidden presence of God; and with that spiritual knowledge we can lead a loving life.”

In other words, authentic love starts within, builds and grows through self-discovery and conscious connection to God. It is by this process that hearts are moved toward love in the way they exist and what they exude to the outside world.

In chapter 12 of the Gospel according to Mark, we see an example of interactions similar to those that are so prevalent these days. It is very clear that there are two sides with two very different objectives. What’s going on in the hearts and minds of each side? What’s the priority?

The chapter starts with Jesus telling the Parable of the Tenants—tenant farmers who refuse to pay the owner of the vineyard and beat and/or kill the people sent to collect the owner’s due. They even kill the vineyard owner’s son—they do not recognize him. Knowing that Jesus is calling them out in the telling of this parable, the Pharisees, scribes, and elders want to arrest him.

What makes them so quick to become so defensive? Did they stop to look inside and invite God into the process before labeling Jesus as the enemy and beginning to determine a course of action? What makes them so offended by Jesus’ words and actions?

As the chapter continues, Pharisees and Herodians, and then Sadducees are sent to question Jesus about taxes (should they pay Caesar or not? – verses 13-17) and about resurrection (how is the law of marriage applied for the widower of seven brothers and with no descendants? – verses 18-27). And Jesus’ nature continues to shine through as he continues to speak truth, conveying and citing the Word of God in his replies. He does not get rattled or fall for the attempts to manipulate him.

“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” (verse 17).

“When they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but they are like the angels in heaven. As for the dead being raised, have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God told him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, [the] God of Isaac, and [the] God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead but of the living. You are greatly misled” (verses 25-27).

Despite knowing, not speculating, but actually knowing what they are trying to do, Jesus does not become defensive or aggressive, or try to avoid them and their questions—he has nothing to hide. He simply answers the questions truthfully, shedding light and putting focus on the real issue—the motives behind behavior. This leads to the question always worth asking, “In all honesty, who or what is being served, and how?” In this case, and in any day and age, lack of integrity and inability to recognize, and live in, truth is not of service to God, or anyone for that matter.

This brings us to the verses of chapter 12 referred to as “The Greatest Commandment”:

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
“Which is the first of all the commandments?”
Jesus replied, “The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
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.”
The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
‘He is One and there is no other than he.’
And ‘to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself’
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
And no one dared to ask him any more questions. – Mark 12:28-34

Loving God with all of one’s being followed by loving one’s neighbor as oneself is to be the object of one’s striving day in and day out. As any human being can attest, this can be challenging and sometimes a downright struggle, and when left to our own devices it’s impossible. However, when we look at chapter 12 of the Gospel according to Mark, we can see in Jesus’ example of facing adversity with peace, honesty, and integrity, how a close relationship with God broadens the horizon, opening hearts and minds to the true meaning of Scripture, influencing speech and action, and revealing truth to all who are willing to embrace and engage in it over everything else (ambitions, possessions, self-interest, etc.).

With Jesus, the invitation is always open, and it doesn’t matter what you bring to the table, so much as a desire for what is true, what you are willing to let go of in order to learn, and the spirit with which you carry it out into the world.