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“You Are Not Far From The Kingdom Of God”

As we read the gospel accounts regarding the rising sentiment of animosity toward Jesus among the so-called “religious” leaders of His day, we see that this hostility was not unanimous. For example, we see Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council, coming to Jesus to inquire of Him sincerely (John 3:1-21). On a later occasion, Nicodemus would defend Christ to his colleagues among the Pharisees (John 7:47-52). On another occasion, Jesus encountered an insightful scribe among the Jewish leadership in Mark 12:28-34. The Lord had just finished putting the skeptical Sadducees in their place (Mark 12:18-27), when one of the scribes, “perceiving that He had answered them well” (Mark 12:28), asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” To which Jesus replied:

“The first of all the commandments is: “˜Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” This is the first commandment. “And the second, like it, is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).

Let us note the scribe’s words in response, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Mark 12:32-33).

Mark concludes the account by recording, “When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34).

Here was a man who dared to do what few of his peers were willing to do — examine Jesus’ reply, on the basis of the scriptural evidence presented (cf. Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18). Where many of his fellow Jews refused to even listen to Christ, other than to seek opportunities to entrap Him, this scribe considered Jesus’ conversation with the Sadducees, and “perceived that He had answered them well ….” (Mark 12:28). When he asked the Master his own question, he weighed the answer against the written word of God and said, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth ….” (Mark 12:32).

This scribe gave credit where credit was due. He may not have always agreed with Jesus, but when he saw that Jesus taught the truth of God accurately, the scribe acknowledged His wisdom. And in return, Christ took note of the scribe’s own ability to correctly reason about spiritual matters (cf. 2 Timothy 2:15). Jesus always insisted upon being judged on the basis of evidence. He pointed to the Scriptures, which testified of Him (John 5:39; John 5:46; cf. Deuteronomy 18:15; Deuteronomy 18:18). He appealed to the miracles He performed, which demonstrated His deity (John 10:37-38; John 14:10-11). When Thomas doubted the other apostles’ report of Jesus’ resurrection, Christ was perfectly willing to offer Thomas the concrete evidence He needed (John 20:24-29).

Today, Jesus asks us to do exactly what the wise scribe did — weigh the evidence, and judge it correctly:

“And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31).

Once we see and confess that Jesus’ words are truth (John 17:17), we, like the scribe, “are not far from the kingdom of God.” All the Lord seeks, is a fair and just evaluation — after which an individual can arrive at only one conclusion — that Jesus Christ is “King of Kings, and Lord of Lords” — worthy of our praise and devotion to Him (Revelation 19:16; cf. Daniel 2:47; 1 Timothy 6:15).