First Reading: Exodus 22:20-26
Reflection:
These words of the Lord, recorded in Exodus, can seem harsh, but there is a purpose to the strong language used here. God is making clear how seriously He takes the way we treat our neighbors. In this Sunday’s gospel reading we’ll hear that the second greatest commandment is to “love your neighbor as yourself.” In this first reading, we see that love of neighbor includes (often as the priority) loving the outcasts in society. We see a few different groups of people represented here: foreigners (or immigrants), widows, orphans, and the poor. This is not an exhaustive list, but reminds us that we need to take care of those who are downtrodden and vulnerable. Love of neighbor does not merely include our friends and family. In fact, our neighbors include our enemies and those we would not typically associate with. The Lord calls us to love them by helping meet their needs. We should welcome them, treat them with respect, and provide for their needs. This is love of neighbor in action. This passage from Exodus is not the only place in Scripture where we are exhorted to take care of those in need. In fact, the Bible is full of these sorts of commands. Let us, therefore, live out the call to love our neighbor by taking care of the outcasts and downtrodden in our society.
Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10
Reflection:
In this Sunday’s second reading, we continue (from last Sunday) to hear from the introduction of St. Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. In this passage, we learn about the Christian community there. Paul reminded them of the time he and his companions spent in Thessalonica preaching the Gospel. The Thessalonians became Christians as a result of his preaching and learned the Christian life by following his example. Many of them had, in fact, “turned to God from idols,” meaning they were pagan Gentiles before putting their faith in Christ. This indicates the radical shift of belief they went through. As a result of their faith, the Thessalonian Christians suffered “great affliction.” They were seriously persecuted for choosing to follow Christ. As a result, the faith was, in fact, spreading. This phenomenon of persecution resulting in the spread of the faith is evidenced throughout all of Church history and was stated succinctly by the Church Father Tertullian in saying, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” The Thessalonians were providing a heroic witness to the Christian faith by enduring much suffering. In fact, in the midst of their suffering, they even had joy and great hope.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 22:34-40
Reflection:
In this Sunday’s gospel reading, we have the profound teaching moment in which Jesus gives us the two greatest commandments. Jesus explained earlier in Matthew’s Gospel, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill” (5:17). With Jesus, therefore, the Old Testament laws were not dismissed but brought to fulfillment. Here Jesus shows us the purpose and ultimate meaning of all those laws: love. In essence, Jesus is saying that if we love, we will keep the law. But what is love? The word “love” is tossed around so much these days that it has lost much of its intended meaning. In our society, love is too often merely equated with emotion, sentiment, or being nice. But there is much more to love than that. The Christian understanding of love involves giving selflessly to another. Love is relational. If you love someone, it does not merely mean you have certain feelings for that person, but that you are willing to sacrifice for their benefit. Love, in fact, is a choice. It is a choice to give freely of yourself for the good of another. With this in mind, let us consider Jesus’ words again. Jesus calls us to love God with our “heart,” “soul,” and “mind.” In other words, He wants us to love Him with everything we are. God wants all of us. He invites us to love Him because that is what we have been created for. In fact, a loving relationship with God is what is best for us. It is the fulfillment of all of our desires. One way we express our love for God is through obeying the second greatest commandment: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” We cannot love God without also loving those He has created. Most often our way of loving God comes through loving our neighbor. Our neighbor, we must remember, also includes our enemies. We are called to work for the good of even those who hate us. In this way, we truly live the Christian life and express self-giving love for God.
Application:
- The Christian life can be summarized in the two greatest commandments: to love God and love others. It sounds simple enough, but is very challenging to put into practice. Our faith life is a journey of learning how to better love God and love others through the grace of God working in us. Reflect on the ways you love God and others well in your life. Then, reflect on where you need to love God and love others better. What actions can you take to grow in your love for God and for your neighbor?
