One of the scribes came, and
listened to their questions. Knowing that Jesus had answered them well, he asked,
“Which commandment is the greatest of all?”
Jesus answered, “The
greatest is, ‘Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one: you shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with
all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The
second is, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no
commandment greater than these.”
The scribe said to him, “Truly,
teacher, you have said well that God is one, and there is no other; to love God
with all the heart, and with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with
all the strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is more important than
all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
When Jesus saw that he answered
wisely, he said, “You are not far from God’s kingdom.” After that, no one else
dared ask any question.
Reflection
The laws of Moses included
not only the Ten Commandments, but more than six hundred other laws as well.
Each one of these laws was scrutinized to determine exactly what was prohibited
and what was allowed. Jesus said this multitude of laws could be summed up like
this: love God and your neighbor. How do
you measure up against this simple standard? Do you find it harder to love God
or your neighbor?
Prayer: Keep reminding me,
Lord, that endlessly analyzing the law is no substitute for following it.
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