Tuesday: The greatest commandment
Today's focusTested by religious leaders, Jesus sums up the whole law: love God with all your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbour as yourself.
Read
34But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Reflection
In this passage, a lawyer attempts to trap Jesus by asking which commandment is the greatest. Rather than being caught in a complex debate, Jesus provides a simple yet profound summary of what it means to live for God. He teaches that the foundation of a faithful life is to "love the Lord thy God" with every part of your being—your heart, soul, and mind. This "first and great commandment" calls for a total devotion that involves your emotions, your spirit, and your thoughts.
Jesus does not stop there, however. He immediately connects your love for God to your treatment of others, stating that the second commandment is "like unto it." To "love thy neighbour as thyself" is inseparable from loving God. By explaining that "all the law and the prophets" hang on these two instructions, Jesus shows you that every religious rule or teaching finds its true meaning in love. When you feel overwhelmed by expectations, you can find peace in this clear focus: loving God completely and seeking the good of your neighbour.
AI-written reflection on the passage above. Let Scripture itself be the main thing.
Reflect
In this Holy Week, who is one neighbour you could show practical love to?
Pray
Lord, teach me to love you with all my heart, soul and mind. Fill me with love for my neighbour as for myself. Let this week of your great love make me more loving.