Lenten Reader | Day 29

March 23rd, 2026

Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

Mark 12:18-34

You Are Not Far

In today’s passage, the Sadducees ask a silly question. They ask about a wife that has been married over and over again to brothers. This is a silly question because in heaven there will be no marriage relationship. There will be God’s perfect plan in place for all of eternity with the fulfillment of all our longings and love. Christ rebukes them by telling them that they don’t know the scriptures or the power of God. God is God of the Living.

Then a scribe asked a very simple question, but the most important answer is given. The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 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 to love your neighbor as yourself. The scribe agreed with him and said that’s more important than burnt offerings or sacrifices. Jesus told him that he is not far from the kingdom of God. How near or far am I away from the kingdom of God?

I am continuously learning to love God with my whole being but what about my neighbors? Jesus defined neighbors as everyone I encounter. I should show mercy, love, and forgiveness to them all. We need to learn to love the addict down the road, the person with garbage all over their yard, the arrogant doctor or businessman or politician, our family members with all their bad choices. We need to comprehend that Jesus commanded that we love them as ourselves. We can’t fix the world; only God can. But we can love those in our world.

One of my family members asked me why I go to Walmart to shop? I told them that I go there because there are more people there that need help. Sometimes it’s just a smile they need or a listening ear. Sometimes it’s buying their food when their card doesn’t work. Sometimes it’s buying items that I know the homeless shelter people like.

Are you like the Scribe? Are you not far from the Kingdom of God?

Gwen Belcher