RESPECT

Mark 12:28-34

November 3, 2024

There was once a great monastic order that over time had declined to only five old monks and was in danger of extinction. The Abbott of this monastery, desperate to save and restore the viability of his order, sought the counsel of a wise rabbi, who commiserated that the spirit had gone out of his faith also. They wept together and as they parted the rabbi apologized for not having advice or solutions. But he concluded by telling the abbot he was sure that the Messiah was one of them.

One of them? The monks pondered who among them might be the Messiah, speculating first on one, then another of their number. As they contemplated who that Messiah might be the old monks began to treat each other with extraordinary respect, on the off chance that one amongst them might be the Messiah, and on the off chance that each monk himself might be the Messiah, each began to treat himself with extraordinary respect. 

Soon people in neighboring areas took notice of the extraordinary respect that surrounded and radiated from the monks, finding a strangely attractive, even compelling desire to be in their presence. Word spread and soon people brought their families and friends to this special place and loving monks. The monastery began to thrive and once again became a place of rest, recreation, prayer and peace. All thanks to the rabbi’s gift.

This is a story told by M. Scott Peck, called “The Rabbi’s Gift.” I like it because it reminds me to have respect for those around me, and to have respect for myself. The former is something we hear a lot about, but we don’t always hear much about the latter. And yet, it is the basis for good will among all.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is once more tested by scribes. He is asked which is the first commandment, and Christ responds by quoting Moses' words from Deuteronomy on the command to love God and the oneness of God. And in loving God, we become one with God.

Christ adds a second commandment to complete what began in Moses’ revelation: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” This creates an additional dimension of oneness. While unity is rooted in the love of God, we are also called to express it through our love for our neighbors, even those we might feel are most different from us.

But notice how Jesus says we are to love our neighbors “as ourselves.” I hear that to mean that if I treat myself poorly, I am going to treat my neighbor poorly as well. So, before I can even think about how to treat my neighbor, I have to look at how I am treating my own self. And that’s about the hardest thing I can do. Oh, sure, I’ve read many self-help books to improve my self-worth, and I know all the clever euphemisms about taking care of yourself before taking care of others.

But I have found that whenever I lash out at someone, or a specific group of someone’s, I am usually lashing out at a deficiency of my own. If I call someone lazy, I find that I’m embarrassed about my own laziness. If I blame a group for a societal problem, I can see that I wish that problem was not something that I created for myself. And so on.

The negative energy in our country is at the highest level it has been at in a long time, and I pray that it will subside in the coming weeks. I believe it is time for everyone to take a step back, take a deep breathe, and recognize the goodness of everyone around us.

And that has to start with me. The scribe acknowledges, “God is One, and there is no other than God.” I have to pause and reflect that it is in the love of God that dissolves divisions. “God is the One,” and in binding myself to God in love, I cannot be divided from God.

I pray that, in my lifetime, the world comes to truly live Jesus’ command to love one another. Perhaps I can start by respecting myself a little more, and, on the off chance that one of them is the Messiah, I will respect those around me more. I pray for a world that “once again became a place of rest, recreation, prayer and peace. All thanks to the rabbi’s gift.”

Every Day.

To hear Scott Peck tell his story, “The Rabbi’s Gift”, click here

© 2024 by Timothy J. Doppel

All Rights Reserved