Sunday, October 25
Matthew 22:34–40
At that time, when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. One of them, an expert in the Law, asked Him a question to test Him:
“Teacher, which commandment in the Law is the greatest?”
Jesus replied:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and first commandment.
The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Commentary
Almost always, when people are approaching the end of a task or the end of their lives, their words take on a special depth and significance.
As experience accumulates, and as we become aware that our time is limited, we grow in wisdom.
Jesus was not advanced in age, but He was approaching the end of His ministry.
What is the most important commandment?
Love God and love your neighbor.
That is the message of Jesus.
What is new about Jesus is His own personal testimony. The way He has loved us serves as the very definition of love.
Christ, through His sacrifice on the cross, His generous self-giving, His way of serving and restoring others, and His entire life, becomes the living dictionary through which we can learn what love truly means.
Only in love do we find what is essential, and that love is Jesus Christ.
Questions for Discussion and Reflection
How am I living out the commandment of love in my daily life?
Do I look to Jesus as the concrete example of what it means to love?
Does my love for others reflect Christ's generous and selfless love?
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