THE GREAT COMMANDEMENTS

Matthew 22:34-40

Having silenced the Sadducees, Jesus was approached by the Pharisees and one of them asked which could be the first commandment of the law. Jesus replied by offering two great commandments: love God and love the neighbor. Taking Jesus’ words, he did not say just to love. He said you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and with all your mind and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus wants to stress the theme of Love, showing the two aspects of it as the two sides of the same coin.

Jesus’ response is twofold. He first turns to Deuteronomy 6:15: “You shall love the Lord your God …” This was familiar to the Jews, for they recited it in prayer every day. And then he turns to the commandment found in Leviticus 19:18: “You shall love your neighbor…” He combines these two commandments in such a way that one cannot be fulfilled without the other. There can be no love of God without loving the neighbor, made in his image. Nor can love of the neighbor exist without a pure and purifying love for God. These two greatest commandments are inseparable from each other. The love of God can only find meaning and truthfulness in the love of neighbor and the love of the neighbor finds its foundation in the love of God.

This means that if one truly loves God, he/she must love the neighbor as well. This unity of the two loves is for us, a constant reminder of who we are as Christians: the mirror of God’s love. Jesus adds something important: loving ourselves is the measure for loving others. Saying that "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," Jesus wants to teach us that, out of the love for ourselves, we should be able to turn to others. That is, when you feel hungry, you should recognize that other people are hungry. When you have a need, know that others too have needs. If you feel hurt when treated badly, you understand that others as well feel the same when you treat them badly. The message is that it is not important to go around telling people that we love them, but we should express our love for them by what we do. Through the intercession of Saint Rose of Lima who dedicated herself to help and support the poor, may God help us to be more loving.