The great stone of Abel in the field of Joshua the Bethshemite

 One continues to read the Old Testament histories particularly at the moment, because they have become more pellucid; more like jasper walls of New Jerusalem are supposed to be. 

See this for instance from the episode in 1 Samuel when the Philistines -- who represent faith separate from charity -- return the ark of the Lord:

1 Samuel 6:11-18 - King James Version (KJV)

<11> And they laid the ark of the Lord upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods. <12> And the kine took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Bethshemesh. <13> And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. <14> And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the Lord. <15> And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the Lord. <16> And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. <17> And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the Lord; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one; <18> And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the Lord: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.

It says they came to a great stone. A stone being a spiritual truth, a great stone is a great spiritual truth. What is a spiritual truth, anyhow, that we may know it? It is information and ideation supportive of understanding, implementing and growing in love of God and the neighbor. 

To what great stone did they come, these kine bearing the offering of the Philistines? To the great stone Abel, which is the spiritual truth that charity must indwell faith; that spiritual knowledge must be lovingly applied to evils in the will and service to God and the neighbor. 

They offered the kine thereupon as a burnt offering, which is a representative of the love which is burnt offering; which is greater than all literal sacrifices. It is here a representative of love being joined to that great truth, charity is the center of the Church.

Someone may of course know that great truth yet not practice it; have that great stone Abel in their field and yet not offer kine as burnt offerings upon it.

One could say much more about this episode, but the impulse arose to share specifically this, in part because it did not get mentioned in the NCBS commentary and yet shines clearly in the spiritual sense.

I will find an appropriate quote for the parts that the existing commentaries extensively explain.

Mark 12:32-34 - King James Version (KJV)

<32> And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: <33> And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. <34> And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

Appendix: " Now let us see what all this means. The Philistines meant people who believe in faith separated from charity. Dagon portrayed that system of belief. The hemorrhoids that afflicted them meant earthly loves, which are unclean when they are separated from spiritual loves; and the mice meant the destruction of the church by distortions of the truth. The new cart on which they sent back the ark meant a new teaching, though on the earthly level, because a chariot in the Word meant a teaching derived from spiritual truths. The cows meant good earthly feelings, the golden hemorrhoids earthly loves purified and made good, and the golden mice the destruction of the church taken away by goodness (gold in the Word means what is good). The lowing of the cows along the way pointed to the difficulty of turning the obsessions with evil of our earthly self into good desires, and the sacrifice of the cows and the cart meant that the Lord was appeased" (Divine Providence 326).

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