XXX SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Which Commandment in the Law Is the Greatest?

Readings: Exodus 22:20–26; Psalm 18:2–3, 3–4, 47, 51; 1 Thessalonians 1:5c–10; Matthew 22:34–40

Love is the supreme commandment. It is the heart of our relationship with God and with one another. Whoever loves fulfills the law and the prophets, because the law was given to help us remain in communion with God and establish a loving relationship with our neighbor.

By asking Jesus, “Which commandment in the law is the greatest?” the scholar of the law was perhaps seeking to establish a hierarchy among the commandments of God. Jewish tradition counted 613 commandments. The scholar wanted to know which one stood above all the others.

Jesus did not give him a new commandment. Instead, he reminded him of what God had already revealed to his people through Moses: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This commandment comes from Deuteronomy 6:5. Jesus then adds a second commandment from Leviticus 19:18: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Although these commandments were given many centuries ago, they remain forever relevant because we are called to love God eternally, just as he loves us. Moreover, the second commandment cannot be separated from the first. Our love for our neighbor reflects our love for God; it becomes a mirror of our relationship with him. As the First Letter of John tells us, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar” (1 John 4:20).

Who, then, is our neighbor? Our neighbor is not simply the person who lives in the same house, belongs to the same family, shares our nationality, or has the same blood. Our neighbor is every human being, every son and daughter of God, without distinction.

We are called to love God with our whole being—with our heart, soul, and mind. When we love God and our neighbor, we are like a bird with two wings, able to fly freely toward the Kingdom of God, sustained by his grace. We are all called to be apostles of love. Therefore, we must not only know the commandment of love but also practice it and cultivate it every day.

Our love must not be limited to those we like or appreciate, or to those who share our opinions and beliefs. We are called to love those who agree with us and those who disagree with us, those we know and those we have never met. Every Christian is called to imitate Jesus Christ, who loves everyone regardless of their origin or whether they believe in him. Indeed, he gave his life for all. Even as he suffered on the cross, he prayed for those who crucified him and asked his Father to forgive them.

In the first reading, God commands his people not to molest or oppress foreigners. Why? Because the Israelites themselves had experienced oppression in Egypt. They cried out to God, and he heard their cries and delivered them. Having experienced God's mercy, they were expected to show the same mercy to others. God reminds Israel that the foreigner must not be MISTREATED, because Israel knows what it means to be a stranger in a foreign land. The strangers MUST respect and love people where they live. LOVE IS MUTUAL. WE NEED TO SHARE LOVE. This message extends beyond Israel to all nations: God is compassionate and merciful, and his people must reflect his compassion in their relationships with others. All nations must respect and love one another. Where love truly exists, oppression and injustice cannot be accepted. Love calls us to respect the dignity of every person, especially the stranger, the widows, the vulnerable, and the poor, as the first reading requires it.

In the second reading, Saint Paul expresses his joy over the Thessalonians, who welcomed the Gospel of Christ despite the persecution and suffering they endured. Their conversion was genuine: they turned away from idols to serve the living and true God and to await his Son from heaven. Their faith became a testimony to others, spreading throughout Macedonia and Achaia. Their example shows us that genuine love for God transforms our lives and becomes visible in our actions.

Today, the Liturgy of the Word invites us to examine our hearts and ask ourselves some important questions:

Do we love God as we are called to love him—with all our heart, soul, and mind?

Do we truly love our neighbors, including those who disagree with us, those who are different from us, and those who may have hurt us? Do we recognize Christ in the stranger, the poor, the vulnerable, and those who need our compassion?

It is easy to say that we love God, but our love must be demonstrated through the way we treat others. We cannot separate our love for God from our love for our neighbor. The two commandments belong together.

Let us therefore ask the Lord for the grace to love more deeply, to forgive more generously, and to serve more faithfully. May our love become a living testimony to the Gospel, so that through our words and actions, others may recognize the love of God.

We are all called to be apostles of love, because love of God and love of neighbor are the two wings that lead us toward the Kingdom of Heaven.