Because of the groundswell of animosity toward Jesus among the leaders of Jerusalem — both civil and religious — during the three years of His active ministry, we sometimes forget that this hostility was not unanimous.

In John chapter 3, for example, we see Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council, coming to Jesus to inquire of Him sincerely; later, Nicodemus would defend Christ to his colleagues among the Pharisees (John 7:47-52). Indeed, we are told that “even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42-43).

Jesus encountered an insightful man among the Jewish leadership in Mark 12:28-34. (Mark’s entire 12th chapter is a series of interactions between Jesus and His contemporaries, and teems with excellent lessons waiting to be learned. Read it sometime.) The Lord had just finished putting the skeptical Sadducees in their place when one of the scribes, “perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’” Jesus replied, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Note the scribe’s words in response: “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Mark concludes the account: “Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’”

Here was a man who dared to do what few of his peers were willing to do: examine Jesus honestly, on the basis of the evidence. Where many of his fellows refused to even listen to Christ — other than to seek opportunities to entrap Him — this scribe considered Jesus’ conversation with the Sadducees and “perceived that He had answered them well.” And when he asked the Master his own question, he weighed the answer against the written word of God and pronounced it “well said.”

The scribe gave credit where credit was due. He may not have always agreed with Jesus, but when he saw that Jesus taught the truth of God accurately, the scribe acknowledged His wisdom. And in return, Christ took note of the scribe’s own ability to reason about spiritual matters correctly.

Jesus always insisted upon being judged on the basis of the evidence. He pointed to the Scriptures, which testified of Him (John 5:46). He appealed to the miracles He performed, which demonstrated His deity (John 10:37-38). When Thomas doubted the other apostles’ report of Jesus’ resurrection, Christ was perfectly willing to offer Thomas the concrete proof He needed (John 20:24-29). All he seeks is a fair and just evaluation, which can only arrive at one conclusion: that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Even now, Jesus asks us to do what the wise scribe did — weigh the evidence, and judge it correctly: “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31). Once we see and confess that Jesus’ words are truth, we, like the scribe, are not far from the kingdom of God.