by Pastor Douglas Brauner

That’s a Ringer

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.'”
Mark 12:24 English Standard Version

You’ve heard, and probably used, the old cliché; close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

Close doesn’t count when it comes the kingdom of God; to the reign and rule of God. This is a lesson we learn toward the end of Mark’s Gospel.

Of the three confrontations with Jesus in Mark 12, the third is the least confrontational, in fact, the scribe that comes to Jesus might have been sincere.

He has seen his fellow religious leaders fail to trap Jesus, either about taxes or about the resurrection of the dead. Mark states that this unnamed scribe saw that Jesus had answered well these other Jewish leaders. “Which commandment is the most important of all?” he asked Jesus.

Jesus doesn’t answer by only giving the greatest commandment, he also gives him the second most important; two for the price of one! “Love God with everything you have… Love your neighbor as yourself.” Given Jesus’ previous confrontations with the Jewish leaders, we might expect this man to either remain silent or respond negatively to Jesus’ answer.

He doesn’t do either!

He affirms Jesus’ answer. And Jesus said to the scribe, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”. The horseshoe has landed close to the post. However, unlike horseshoes, close doesn’t count.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not the result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 English Standard Version

This scribe is correct, the problem is that he cannot nor can we perfectly love God or our neighbor. The reign and rule of God is ours only by faith in the One who did love his Father above everything, the One who in love laid down his life for his sheep.

To know the kingdom of God, his rule and reign, is to know the grace of God in Jesus.

That’s a ringer!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado