This is the sixth in a sermon series on selections from chapters 9 through 14 in the Gospel of Mark. In today’s reading, a scribe, hearing Jesus debating with other scribes and appreciating his knowledge, quizzes him as to the greatest commandment. The familiar response from Jesus, who quotes two commandments and says there are no other commandments besides those two, is recognized by the questioner as exactly on point. In the midst of our own conflicted and polarized era, for us to focus on loving God and loving our neighbor as Jesus directed the scribe so long ago is an essential lesson for us. To love like this isn’t easy – it is the work of a lifetime.