No Holding Back

Rev. Debbie Cato
Mark 12:28-34
Fairfield Community Church
November 3, 2024 

Let us pray:  God, source of all light, by your Word you give light to the soul. Pour out on us the spirit of wisdom and understanding that our hearts and minds may be opened.  Amen.

 

No Holding Back!

 

“‘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.’ and ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Familiar words, aren’t they?  Many of us can probably recite this by heart.  

 

Have you noticed that this passage begins with the words “you shall”.  You shall love the Lord,… You shall love your neighbor.  Jesus is not suggesting that we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.  He is not wanting us to love our neighbor as ourselves.  He is commanding; he is demanding us to love in this way.  You shall love, Jesus commands. There’s no holding back.

 

First, Jesus demands that we “Love the Lord our God with all our heart.” Not the anatomical blood-pumping heart, but the “heart” that, from ancient times has been considered the center of our emotions; the place we feel joy and sadness; anger and love.

 

I’ve worshipped in a Pentecostal church several times.  Has anyone else? It’s an exciting worship service. Pentecostals really put their emotions – or their heart, into worshiping God.  When the pastor says, “Let us pray,” everyone does!  Out loud and at the same time. Praying the Pentecostal way is noisy, but you can feel the emotion.  During the sermon, you hear  “Amens” and “hallelujahs”.   

 

Sometimes people just clap.  To be honest, as a Presbyterian who is known as “God’s Frozen Chosen”, I found it a little distracting.  I’m not used to a congregation that puts so much heart into loving God. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart.”  No holding back.

 

Jesus commands that we “love the Lord our God with all our soul.” The Greek word for soul is psyche from which we get our word psychology. It is closely related to what we think of as personality. It really means “Love the Lord your God with whatever makes you, YOU.  Are you happy-go-lucky, outgoing, the life of the party?  Fine. Then let your enthusiasm be reflected in the way you serve God. Are you quiet, introspective, much more comfortable out of the limelight than in it? Wonderful. Then let your quiet stability be put to work in the name of your Lord. The message is that there is no such thing as cookie-cutter discipleship. One size does NOT fit all. Love the Lord your God with all YOUR soul. And no holding back.

 

Then, we are to “love God with all our mind.” This is where those of us who are academically inclined may be most comfortable.  Up in our heads.  We take a very intellectual approach to matters of faith. We do not believe that anyone should have to take their head off when entering church. The gospel may be beyond rational in the scope of divine grace, but, even with our limited resources, we use all our brain-power in helping someone understand. We are comfortable with that. And we are pleased that no one could ever accuse us of holding back.

 

Finally, strength. The Greek word for strength is dunamis from which we get dynamite. This is serious power.  A concentration of effort. Focus. It is the kind of discipline that sees that Sunday morning has arrived and there is no question concerning what is in store – CHURCH…and any alternative would be unthinkable. That prayer time among our Pentecostal friends requires that kind of attention – all hands in the air, everyone praying aloud and with FEELING. No way anyone’s mind could be wandering to next week’s grocery list. Time, talent, and treasure are all put into the service of God. Nothing is left out. Those who can sing, sing; those who can teach, teach; those who can fix, fix; those who are good with details administer; the list goes on and on. Each one does what he or she can, and no one would consider not pulling a proper share of the load. Love the Lord your God with all your strength. No holding back.

 

Now, up to this point, those folks on the road who were listening to Jesus banter back and forth with the local rabbis, would not have been surprised by anything they heard. After all, love for God…the God who is celebrated by the Psalmist as the God “who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; the God who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry… the God who opens the eyes of the blind…watches over the strangers…upholds the orphan and the widow…love for this God was a given.

 

But then Jesus added the words about loving your neighbor as yourself. Suddenly, a respected Jewish teacher is saying that there is a relationship between how we love God and how we love our neighbors.  There is a relationship between our piety, all the things we attach to our worship of God, and the way we treat those around us.

 

Love for neighbor was not some unheard-of concept.  Leviticus is filled with laws about how to treat our neighbors, the poor, the foreigners.  But linking love for God and love for neighbor this way was a novel approach. And that is probably why the gospel notes, “After that no one dared to ask him any question.” They had a new concept to chew on first.

 

Not new for us though, is it? We have heard it and heard it and heard it. This loving your neighbor as yourself is about treating folks the way you yourself want to be treated. In fact, when you think about this “with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and all your strength criteria you might consider going the extra mile and deliberately doing things for one another that you know would be appreciated. In a nutshell, that is what it means to love your neighbor as yourself. No holding back.

 

But just in case you are sitting here thinking about your neighbor as the people in this church or the people in this community, Jesus is very clear about who our neighbor is.  When Jesus commands us to love our neighbor with all our heart and all our soul and all our mind and all our strength, his definition of neighbor certainly broadens the demand, doesn’t it?!  No holding back.   

Rev. Gavin Rogers is an associate pastor at San Antonio’s Travis Park United Methodist Church. Back in 2018, Pastor Rogers wanted to know the truth about the caravan of migrants traveling from Central America to the border. He wanted to know how he could help.

So, he joined a caravan and traveled with the migrants in Mexico.  He documented his journey and the relationships he formed. 

Rogers writes about long days of traveling with 6,000 refugees via a wide variety of methods. Reaching Guadalajara, for example, involved covering 400 kilometers  (248 miles)  in “23 hours of walking, hitchhiking and police escorts.”

 On November 11, 2018, Pastor Rogers posted, “It is a long road. But life is good when you are with people filled with love and hospitality.” A Mexican truck driver who volunteered to drive some refugees to their next shelter site said he acted ‘because I am human.’ “

 ‘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.’ and ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

 Hoping to dispel fear and falsehoods about caravan members, Rogers shared photos of what the migrants and the people helping them really look like. “Kindness is all over the place,” he wrote next to posts of “real images of Mexican police officers and refugees.”  Local officers Rogers talked to said the caravan has been overwhelmingly peaceful, with no police-related conflicts. “Creating fear is a tactic that is continually used to separate people and label the other,” the pastor writes.    

In online interviews, Rogers introduced some of the refugees he’s been meeting, saying his friendships with them “will last forever.” Many of the travelers had young children and were pushing strollers, he noted, adding that “the love these families have for each other is outstanding.”

 Refugees sharing their stories with the pastor tell of having their children kidnapped and other relatives killed in Central America. Their journey, Rogers said, is “not about a better life in American terms, it’s just about living.” Their goals, he added, are to seek an education for their children and “be free from violence and rape and murder.”

 Rogers admitted that claim may sound “extreme,” but said he saw firsthand knowledge, obtained by being “willing to talk and learn,” that it’s “exactly what is going on here.”

‘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.’ and ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

I remember when I first read Pastor Rogers posts. I inserted myself and my family into this story.  I tried to imagine me and my two daughters, my daughter’s husband, and their two precious children traveling on this caravan.  Traveling for our lives.  Not knowing what lies ahead but knowing it’s our only chance for a life free of violence and rape and murder. 

Traveling 400 kilometers a day.  Me with my rheumatoid arthritis, trying to keep up.  Trying not to hold anyone up or worry my daughters.  In pain, but wanting my family to be safe so I keep walking.  Day after day after day after day.

Jessica and Chris carrying Clara or Caleb when they are too exhausted to keep going.  Needing to keep everyone hydrated and somehow maintain decent nutrition so that Clara and Caleb stay healthy, yet realizing it’s impossible because of our poverty.  All of us, leaving everything we own behind.  Family photos, keepsakes, jobs, friends, other family members. 

I have to tell you, I got really stressed as I typed these words out - as I say the words.  As I made it about my family, imagining my precious grandchildren traveling so far in uncertain circumstances.  My family being unsafe.  Running from violence, and rape, and murder.  I almost panicked thinking about having to walk so far – my knees and hips and feet hurt me so much.  I felt afraid that I couldn’t keep up.  It started to feel real.

People still travel long distances for safety.  These are real people – just like you and me. As Pastor Rogers learned, they have names and stories; dreams.   Some people would have us believe they are different.  They are dangerous.  They are “others.”  But Jesus says they are our neighbors and ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  No holding back.

Jesus’ parable about the Samaritan shatters the stereotypes of social boundaries and class division. Neighbors do not recognize social class.  Nor is mercy the conduct of a calculating heart. Mercy is given for those in need, regardless of their race, religion, or culture – and with no thought of reward.  The commandment to love, doesn’t leave you much wiggle room.

Rev. Benjamin Cremer, a Methodist living in Idaho, said, “Part of the greatest commandment Christ gave to his disciples is to “love your neighbor.”  Not control your neighbor. Not mock your neighbor.  Not shame your neighbor.  Not dehumanize your neighbor. Not demonize your neighbor.  Not defeat your neighbor.  Love your neighbor.” 

‘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.’ and ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

This is God’s command to us.  The greatest commandment of all.  Loving God with everything we are and everything we have and then loving our neighbor in the same way.  No holding back.  Amen.