Matthew 22:34-46
Read verse 37 again. This is a the greatest commandment. The core value. The guiding principle. People remembered that Jesus identified this one as the most important commandment.
Memorize it. Write it down - or, print the picture, above - and post it in the places where you are when you need be reminded of what comes first.
“Commandment” is an *old* word. I sometimes wonder why the Church keeps it alive. While we like the security of knowing our boundaries, few of us really like to be told what to do. Some translations of the Bible try to soften "commandment" using words like "rule" or "guide." One uses "suggestion," which reads very comfortably, but totally discounts its importance.
ReplyDeleteIf we change the word to "law," then we have a clearer sense of what it means. We understand the value of keeping laws; the consequences of breaking laws. Some laws we treasure; others, we disregard - until someone breaks them, committing an offense against us.
Everyone in the Matthew 22:34-46 believed that the Commandments were holy. These Laws from God taught God's people how to live. Reading all of Matthew 22, you'll see that there was an ulterior motive in asking Jesus to identify which one is *the* most important.
Today's Reading give us an opportunity to think about what it most important in our lives.