Matthew 22:36 “Teacher, what is the most important commandment in the law?”
It is no secret a virus has taken captive our world, morphing our lives into an existence we hardly recognize. Friends and family are kept distant. Freedoms we took for granted are halted. Masks hide our smiles and muffle our words. Our age-old hand-washing instructions are rewritten. Seldom-used words, like quarantine and pandemic, now dominate the media as social distancing and Zoom meetings consume our daily routines.
Through it all, we redefined our priorities and discovered our real heroes: Essential Workers. These doctors, nurses, social workers, caregivers, teachers, and grocery store clerks, to name a few, are the ones we cannot live without; indispensable to our wellness and survival. Previously underrated, their importance has been revealed.
Society deems elements of utmost importance as essential. However, we humans struggle to recognize such. Gratefully, Jesus was the master of understanding essential, so in Matthew 22 when the crowd inquired as to the most important commandment, Jesus responded with truth.
In my imagination, I see Jesus taking a moment of dramatic silence before revealing the answer to the question, “Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the law?” When He spoke, His response was so very basic: love God and love others. That’s it. If you boiled down all the commandments into the single most essential, it is LOVE.
Jesus left us an example of a life filled with love. He faithfully loved those who had by no means merited His love. These were often sinners not found in the synagogues, so Jesus knew the importance of departing the building to love those who needed Him most. Jesus loved Zacchaeus as this “wee little man” sat in a sycamore tree. Jesus loved the woman caught in adultery as she was dragged before the temple and held by her captors. And Jesus loved Judas, His betrayer, as they celebrated one last Passover around a table of shared food.
How could Jesus love to this degree? Because Jesus’ ultimate love was for His Heavenly Father. You see, when asked by that crowd to reveal the greatest commandment, Jesus’ response was love God with every part of your being, and secondly, love others as much as you love yourself.
Our hearts should reflect the heart of Jesus. We are called to love those, like Zacchaeus, who are outside the comforting walls of our church buildings. We are called to love those sinners, like the woman caught in adultery, when it takes us outside our comfort zone. We are called to love those, like Judas, who back-stab us. If our love places them above ourselves, others will be able to witness a piece of the heart of Jesus this side of eternity.
Father God, may our hearts reflect a sincere love for you and for others.
Blessings,
Rita Cochrane