Mark 12:28–37

The First Commandment

²⁸One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?”^{* 29}Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one;^{* 30}you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”^{* 32}Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’;^{* 33}and ‘to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”^{* 34}When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.^*

The Question about David’s Son

³⁵While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Messiah^b is the son of David?^{* 36}David himself, by the Holy Spirit, declared,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at my right hand,

until I put your enemies under your feet.” ’^*

³⁷“David himself calls him Lord, so how can he be his son?” And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.^*