The Greatest Commandment

"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" Mt 22:36

One of the tasks of the great Rabbis was to reduce the entire law and prophets to as few words as possible without losing the power and love of the entire Torah. Today’s gospel is Jesus’ response. In just a few words he sums up the entire law and prophets. Although other rabbis suggested answers similar to Jesus’, Jesus’ is unique in two ways. First, no other rabbi suggests that love of God and love of neighbor are equally important. Love of God is not enough by itself. Neither is love of neighbor sufficient without love of God. Prior to Jesus, the rabbis talked about certain prescriptions of the law as heavy or light. Love of neighbor, while important, was considered light, while love of God was considered heavy. Jesus tells his listeners that both love of God and love of neighbor are heavy, that is, vitally important aspects of the good news.

Jesus also challenges the traditional rabbinic understanding of neighbor. The rabbis taught that other Israelites deserved our love as neighbors. Those outside the covenant deserved compassion but not love. Jesus rejects this understanding and makes his interpretation of the Torah overwhelmingly open. The good news is for all. There are no outsiders In God's love, which remains the challenge for us today. Everyone has a right to our love as a neighbor, not just our compassion. How we live this command is the heart of the gospel.


Today is also Mission Sunday. The word mission is from the Latin verb meaning to send. We are all sent into the world as missionaries to proclaim God’s good news in Jesus. Today’s reading suggests that this task is simple, but powerful. We are to go into the world in such a way that all can sense in us the openness of Jesus. We are to greet all with love as our neighbors, and because this greeting is rooted in the unconditional and unquenchable love of God, we are compelled to offer this gift to all. In a simple form we might say: There is always more where that came from. Jesus is the flowing water of salvation, the bread of life, the light of the world. How glad we are to offer his loving mercy to all.

Today, ask God for the gift of knowing deep in your heart that God is always with you. Ask also to share this love freely and without fear.