What do w live by – the Greatest Commandment

What do we live by?

In the gospel reading for this Sunday, (Mark 12: 28 – 34) one of the Jewish leaders, a scribe, asks Jesus which is the most important commandment that we should live by. Jesus replies with the answer the scribe knew well.

“Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself.”

This commandment is part of a traditional Jewish prayer called the Shema and goes deeper than observing laws. You can’t love someone you don’t know so it’s about having a relationship with God.

Loving God is bound up with loving your neighbour.

How is it possible to love God while hating and mistreating others who are sons and daughters of God?  Here we are reminded of the parable of the Good Samaritan which is about loving even foreigners.

Parents love their children and would do anything for them so when a mother or father sees one of their children harmed they grieve and feel it in their hearts and emotions. Think of the harm done to children by on line abuse for example and how this affects the parents.

Jesus called God Abba or Dad. God is our big Dad.

Wherever war takes place, it is sons and daughters of God who are killed. In the parable of the last judgement (Matthew 25. 40) we read about how we should treat others whatever their needs may be; “in so far as you did it to one of the least of these bothers of mine, you did it to me.”

If everyone lived by the great commandment, the world would be completely different.

Dear Lord, may I spread your peace