He calls for you to love Him with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind; this triadic repetition of "all" emphasizes its righteousness, its utility, and its necessity. Should you offer to God merely a portion of your heart, thoughts, and soul while allocating the rest to the world, that uncommitted part will become a dwelling for evil thoughts, carnal desires, and sin, which will tarnish the part dedicated to God. Conversely, if you entirely dedicate your heart, soul, and thoughts to God, then sin will find no residence in you, for your entire being will be a sanctuary for God’s presence living within you’ (Nikephoros, Archbishop of Astrakhan). Hence, our Lord Jesus Christ, in seeking to elucidate the full spirit of His Divine teaching, answered the lawyer with a response that was broader and deeper than the initial inquiry: ‘When questioned about the foremost commandment, He referred to the second,’ remarks St. Chrysostom, ’which is almost as significant as the first; while termed the second, it is indeed akin to the first. Why is it so similar? Because the second leads to the first and is upheld by the first.’ ‘For anyone who loves God as commanded by the first will undoubtedly adhere to all other commandments of God: if ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15),’ declares the Lord. The foremost commandment regarding love for God is followed closely by the command to love our neighbor. Therefore, anyone who sincerely loves God also loves their neighbor; all individuals are siblings, children of the Father in Heaven; and anyone who loves the One who birthed them loves those born of Him. However, if one does not love their neighbor, they do not love God: for how can someone who does not love their visible brother claim to love God whom they cannot see? (1 Jn. 5:1; 1 Jn. 4:20). Love is a flicker of divine flame within our hearts, and fire inherently provides warmth. If love, the warmth of a believer's heart, does not extend to your neighbor, it suggests that your heart is devoid of love, lacking warmth from the Life Source - God, who is love. God loves all people: if you genuinely, not just verbally, love God with your entire heart, how can you fail to love those whom He loves? As a measure of love towards God, He has prescribed a total devotion of our hearts: love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and similarly, as a measure of love towards your neighbor – the love you have for yourself: love your neighbor as yourself’ (Nikephoros, Archbishop of Astrakhan). The Lord’s response made it evident to the Pharisees why they were unable to reach common ground among themselves, why they debated which commandment held greater importance, as they failed to comprehend the true spirit of the Law, merely quantifying and measuring the commandments instead of embodying them in their actions. The Lord also emphasized the oneness of God, ensuring that when He referred to Himself as the Son of God, the Jews would not misinterpret His words as an incitement of heresy. To counter such misinterpretation, He firmly affirmed that God is one. The scribe who questioned the Lord attentively absorbed His divine response; it was clear that the words of the Lord resonated with him. The Evangelist Mark recounts that the scribe replied to Jesus Christ, ‘Well, Master, thou hast said the truth, that there is one God, and there is none other besides Him; and to love Him with all your heart, and with all your mind, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is greater than all burnt offerings and sacrifices (Mk. 12:32-33). ‘For a scribe-Pharisee to articulate such a sound judgment, heartfelt and vigorous, was a rare occurrence,’ observes Innocent, Archbishop of Kherson. The Lord did not encounter many such wise judgments throughout His ministry. ‘You are not far from the Kingdom of God,’ He told the scribe, and the gentle, merciful gaze in His eyes reinforced this affirmation. It was especially disconcerting for the other Pharisees to hear words from one of their own that betrayed their faction, which persistently held tradition above Scripture and rituals above commandments. We might speculate that this scribe eventually seized the opportunity of being close to the kingdom of God and, by becoming a follower of Jesus Christ, validated through his life that love for God and neighbor is the paramount commandment.’ ‘Having shed the lesser duties,’ states St. Chrysostom, ’he grasped where true virtue begins. For all other duties — observing the Sabbath, among others — are directed toward love. Nevertheless, the Savior withholds complete commendation, indicating that he is still lacking. The words, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God,’ imply that he has not yet arrived and are intended to encourage him to pursue what he lacks. The Savior's commendation should not surprise you; instead, take note of how He interacts with those who approach Him. Though they may voice many things about Christ that are unworthy of His glory, as long as they do not deny the existence of God, He engages with them. He commends the legal expert for acknowledging that there is no other God apart from the Father; this does not imply that Jesus Christ does not recognize His own divinity. Rather, since the time for His divinity to be fully unveiled had not yet come, He allows the lawyer to remain tied to his previous understanding, commending him for his grasp of the old Law, so he could later be receptive to the teachings of the New Testament when the time is ripe. However, the declaration ‘There is one God, and none other besides Him,’ in both the Old and New Testaments, is not meant to deny the divinity of the Son of God, but to distinguish the true God from idols. With this thought, the Savior likewise acknowledges the legalist who articulated these words.’ Following these demonstrations of Jesus' divine wisdom, no one dared to pose further questions to Him. But with all the challengers silent, the Lord initiated conversation with the Pharisees. The heart-searcher was aware that they posed inquiries about the commandments with a hidden agenda: to entrap Him into proclaiming Himself as the Son of God and God. Then they could accuse Him of blasphemy. In response to their unvoiced intent, He adeptly posed a question, ‘in a subtle manner guiding them not only to acknowledge the Father but also Him as God,’ as noted by St. Chrysostom.
THEOSIS