Great commandment
34 When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had left the Sadducees speechless, they met together. 35 One of them, a legal expert, tested him. 36 “Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 He replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: You must love your neighbor as you love yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”
Reflection
Lately, I feel like I’m standing in the middle of a seesaw as it goes up and down. I’m trying to maintain my balance and not be pulled to either side. I’m trying to keep my eyes focused on God’s Kin-dom and following Jesus. This is easier said than done, and often I lose my balance and my focus, and I fail-but with God’s help, I keep trying.
Why is it we get so much satisfaction from dividing into opposing sides? Why do we enjoy grilling our opponents, instead of looking for common ground that could unite us, and improve the lives of those in need? It would seem our individual views that divide us are more important to us, than loving God, loving our neighbor and following Jesus.
In today’s scripture, Jesus, had just been publicly challenged by a trick question from the Sadducees, the priestly sect that controlled the Temple. Their attempt to trap Jesus failed and left them unable to reply to him. Now the Pharisees, who are opponents of the Sadducee’s, the rabbinical sect present in the local synagogues, attempt to grill Jesus by testing his
understanding of Jewish law. They ask Jesus, among all the laws governing their daily lives, “what is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus sees through their attempt to pick one side over the other, by getting to the heart of the matter: Loving God involves loving our neighbor. If we say we love God and then ignore the plight of our neighbors, then we fall short of what God requires of us-justice, mercy and loving kindness. Loving God may be the center of our faith but it is only the halfway point. Loving God moves us to action, to care for others the way we would want to be cared for, our love of God pours over into action. Jesus points out that loving God helps us to see our neighbor as God sees and loves them. By loving our neighbor, we are also loving God, the two are inseparable.
by Jeneene Reduker
For Pondering and Prayer
Jesus gave the Pharisees and those listening to him a master class in love. We are called to be loving the way Jesus was loving, not an emotional only response but a response that calls for us to actively make loving choices every day. It isn’t just love God or only love others, it’s both/and. This may seem impossible; it’s choosing to look into the face of an enemy and pray for them, when hating them is easier. It’s seeking justice for the marginalized, it’s showing loving kindness to others, even when they don’t show it back. It’s knowing that God’s love is transforming us with every choice we make to follow Jesus.
Today, let your love for God flow over into your love for your neighbor. Let’s ask ourselves, Are we loving God with all our heart, all our being and all our mind? Are we being loving to ourselves? Are we being loving to our neighbors?
Prayer: Holy and Loving God, help us to love our neighbors as we love you. Give us the courage to make loving choices every day as we follow Jesus. Amen.
