For Sunday
Proper 25A
Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Reading
Reflection
The interrogation is coming to end. The Temple leaders and their many supporters are running out of traps to set for Jesus. So the last one comes from a lawyer. He’s straightforward and to the point.
Which commandment is greatest?
This is a clever question, we should admit. Simple and direct. Easy and yet deep. One that Jesus could get right and still be wrong. For it is fair to argue that the first of the ten commandments is its greatest—but it is also a live debate.
Jesus expounds on that response, however, naming a teaching from Leviticus alongside it. Directly tying the love of God to our love of neighbors.
It is hard to be Christian and not be familiar with this teaching. We site it constantly as the Great Commandment—but with the two teachings as one. Love God, love neighbor as self. One command for us all.
There is a beautiful simplicity to it. And yet, we also understand how complex it is. To respect others as we want to be respected. To forgive as we want to be forgiven. Love. Compassion. Generosity. All of these things.
The things we want and crave are things we offer to our neighbors with that same zeal. And to tie all of that up in love of God?
We know this as command. And we know just how difficult it remains to practice.
How often we indulge ourselves—dare we indulge others? Do we truly love our neighbors as ourselves?
We proably have room to grow. And therefore, what does that say about our love of God? Probably some room there, too.