The Jewish people had often wondered which is the greatest commandment. In addition to the Ten Commandments, the Rabbis had counted 613 other precepts of the Mosaic Law. But no Rabbi had been able to answer irrefutably the question about the greatest commandment of the Law. Our Lord Jesus Christ was the only one in Jewish life and history to satisfactorily answer the question: ‘which is the greatest commandment of the Law?’
When the Pharisees asked Jesus in our Gospel passage, ‘which is the greatest commandment of the Law?’ they did so in order to embarrass him. In his answer, Jesus makes it abundantly clear that the greatest commandment is the love of God. Jesus quotes
Deuteronomy 6:5. “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Jesus goes further to add the second greatest commandment, namely, the love of neighbour. Jesus cites Leviticus 19:18: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”
The First Reading warns against oppressing or doing harm to the poor, widow, orphan, and stranger. To love God and our neighbour requires showing practical concern for others, especially the most vulnerable, and those who are forced to live on the margins of society. Jesus teaches us in today’s Gospel that the love of God and love of neighbour are inseparable. As Christians, we need to ask ourselves: Deep within my heart, do I really love God? Do I really love my neighbour? If I do, it will show in my actions. Love is something practical.
If we truly love God and others, it will show by our dedication to God and our concern for the needy in our society. The Christian life can be rightly summed up as the love of God and neighbour. Jesus commands us: “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
Let us strive and pray for the grace to continually grow in the love of God and neighbour.