‘Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers.’ (Human Rights Act 1998, article 10) This simple definition of one of the most fundamental rights is much harder to master and apply in everyday life, where individual freedoms might clash or seem to be irreconcilable. Although freedom of expression is considered a foundation of democracy, more often than not it has fallen victim to dogmatic or authoritarian ideologies. This happens because most people accept freedom of expression only as long as it remains within their worldview. “I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” – Voltaire’s attitude expressed in this phrase is the exception, not the rule. In our corner of the world, religion used to be accused of having a dogmatic and intolerant approach but nowadays that infamous ‘claim to fame’ seems to have been taken over by the proponents of the so-called ‘liberal agenda’; which is funny, as they seem to be pretty short on a liberal approach towards those who disagree.
The exchange between Jesus and a scribe in today’s gospel seems to be an example of a very civilised discussion but it happened in the wider context of an extremely hostile reception of Jesus by the metropolitan elites in Jerusalem. Almost two chapters preceding today’s passage are filled with fierce denunciations of, and accusations against, Jesus as the wrecker of the established religious and political order – in ancient times those were inseparable. The polite exchange in today’s gospel is just a short breather, followed by more hostilities that eventually would lead to Jesus’ crucifixion in an apparent triumph of his opponents. That’s the ‘cancel culture’ in its ancient and extreme form.
There are a few interesting parts that can come in useful in forming our attitudes. The introduction of the scribe is the first one: ‘One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked [Jesus]…’ Unlike most of his colleagues, this one had an open mind, was capable of thinking out of the box and appreciated his potential opponent as someone who might have valid opinions. His question wasn’t an opening salvo to attack Jesus but a genuine search for his thoughts.
Jesus replied by recalling the most fundamental and essential, traditional Jewish prayer ‘Shema Yisrael’. He couldn’t have been more traditional than that. In his response, Jesus showed his deep respect for the traditions of Israel, contrary to what he was accused of by the religious elites. Both commandments presented as the greatest were quotations from the Torah, the part of the Jewish ancient writing considered to be holy scriptures by all the Jewish religious factions. Suddenly Jesus turned out not to be a wrecker of the ancient traditions but their promoter.
As I mentioned earlier, the opening line of Jesus’ answer was the most traditional Jewish prayer. Shema, ‘in the simplest terms, means ‘to hear’. But it also means to obey and take action. So, to hear God is to obey God – and to obey God is to hear God.’ The scribe talking to Jesus had heard his arguments in earlier exchanges with his opponents and come to the conclusion that Jesus’ opposition was against the empty ritualism, not against the essence of Judaism, hence the scribe’s answer: ‘Well spoken, Master; what you have said is true: that he is one and there is no other. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself, this is far more important than any holocaust or sacrifice.’
Rituals and traditions play an important, even vital role in our lives, in their secular and religious aspects. They form our identities, they keep us rooted in so many ways. But rituals can quickly become meaningless, even superstitious beliefs that obscure what is really important. Having quoted the Jewish creed in the form of ‘Shema Yisrael’, Jesus added the commandment on the love of thy neighbour as a counterweight against puritanical, merciless and heartless religious beliefs trampling individuals and their dignity. We didn’t see Jesus killing anyone who disagreed with Him; exactly the opposite. Here’s Voltaire again: ‘No opinion is worth burning your neighbour for.’
Image by Ryan McGuire from Pixabay