TEXT: The Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew 22:34-40

There is much competition amongst men.  The Pharisees had the Law (Torah) and 613 rabbinical traditions that they argues about with any and all who they felt had a need to know.  On the other hand, the Sadducees believed only in the Law and the Prophets, and not in the rabbinical traditions.  So, you could say that the Sadducees were very "conservative;" and, the Pharisees were more "liberal" in their views, because they were adding a lot of things to interpret the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings.

The question that was posed to Jesus was well debated between the Pharisees and Sadducees.

What were the greatest commandments?

Last week, there was a dispute, if we recall, about whether or not it was right to pay taxes, and at that gathering, the Pharisees (haters of Rome) and the Herodians ("lovers" of Roman rule) came together to trick Jesus into answering the way they wanted him to answer.  They failed in their trickery.

Saint Matthew records another failure in trickery, this time on the heals of Jesus "silencing" the Sadducees.  The Pharisees "loved" the fact that Jesus had "silenced" their "debate opponents."  However, there was a greater lesson Jesus was teaching.

It was a lesson of "praxis."  What does it mean to be a practically holy person, when we ask this question of what are the greatest commandments?

We join the conversation.

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together.
35  And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test him.
36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"

Always leave it to a lawyer to ask a trick question -- "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"

Now, the lawyer had no idea that Jesus would answer the question the way he did.

The lawyer probably thought it would be, maybe, "Do not murder," or "Do not steal," or something like that.  Maybe even, "honor your mom and dad. . .", But, no, Jesus answered differently.  Why?  Because both side, as today, seemed to be missing the point of the Law (Torah).

37  And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
38 This is the great and first commandment.
39  And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
40 On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."

These commandments are from Deuteronomy 6: 4,5 and Leviticus 19:18.

Let us explore the Law.  St. Ambrose said -- "Law is twofold --- natural and written.  The natural law is in the heart, the written law on tables.  All men are under the natural law.  First of all, nature itself teaches us to do what is good; afterwards came the law that was given through Moses."  (De Fuga, 15)

Often, we forget that law existed long before Moses.

The Law (Torah) was given through Moses.  It was not the invention of either the Pharisees or the Sadducees.  It was, and remains, God’s law.

Saint Bernard said -- "It ought to be remembered that law promulgated in fear by a spirit of slavery is one thing; and that given sweetly and gently by the spirit of liberty is another.  Those who are sons are not obliged to submit to the first, but they are always under the rule of the second."  (Letters, 12, 6)

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."

All of the Torah and Prophets, and Old Testament and the New depend upon this awesome distillation of the commandments of God.  Think about it.

These words call us (our vocation) to love God with all our being, and, to love our neighbor (everyone) as ourselves.

When we consider the statement of Jesus, we are listening again to what we read over and over again in the Divine Office, only recently again.  May we pause to listen to Saint Paul? (Philippians 2:1-8, RSV)

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,
2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
3  Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves.
4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.

The cross demands humility.

The cross evokes our response in Love to God to follow Jesus to the cross for us, to self-abandonment and death to self and newness of life.

We read -- Psalm 18:2-3, which says,

"I love you, O Lord, my strength."  This Love is that of the Old Testament Deuteronomy 6  and that proclaimed in Saint Matthew 22.

The Love proclaimed does not stop at loving God.  Loving God has praxis ... it has its feet on the ground, where earth (Hebrew, adamah) saw the formation of Adam, male and female, they were both called -- Adam. (Cf. Genesis 5: 1,2)

Love goes much farther than debates and words.

Love takes on the burden and dies to self and becomes of the same mind that was in Christ Jesus.

That is our vocation as Christians.  That is the COMMON ground for us.

Failing at this, we await the justice of God.

What is real (true) religion?  Saint James tells us much also.  But, here, Jesus tells us what the apostles that followed knew in their heart of hearts.  God is Love and God does not want anything to do with bickering and fighting amongst those who are to have the same mind that Christ has.

This is the Love of Jesus, "given sweetly and gently by the spirit of liberty."

The Law was given through Moses, but, grace and truth came through Christ Jesus -- "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known."  (Cf. John 1: 17, 18, RSV)

There are not two "gods," one Old Testament and the other New Testament.  God spoke in the Son, "sweetly and gently by the spirit of liberty."

It is God’s plan and purpose to make of us "new creations" in Christ Jesus (II Corinthians 5:17).

Let us look to Mary as our example, our Sanctissima.

Let us look to Jesus as her example and ours.

Let us meet on this common ground and be true sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, the faith that is solidly practical.  The Catholic faith that practices what we proclaim.  This faith is more than a debate.  This faith is praxis incarnated down where we live and work and pray.



Deus et Sanctissima.