Deut. 6:2-6; Ps 17(18); Hb 7:23-28; Mk 12:28-34
God’s Commandments
Dear friends, today is the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time year B. We have three more Sundays to conclude this extensive Ordinary season. The liturgical colour for this season is green which signifies hope and growth. I hope that through the Sunday reflections during this season, you have grown in knowledge about the kingdom of God, your faith fortified, and your hope in the Lord strengthened.
Our theme today is “God’s Commandments”. We can define a commandment as a rule or a principle that when adhered to has positive consequences. When man and woman sinned against God, they lost the grace bestowed on them and the capacity to choose good over evil. Sin alienates us from God making us lose his grace and protection. God gave Moses the Ten Commandments to help the people follow the path of righteousness. Each commandment, in its own way, helps to guide us toward a life of deeper integrity, compassion, and reverence for God and one another. Therefore, the commandments are not burdens but blessings. Why do we sometimes think that God’s commandments are burdens?
Moses reminds the people about the commandments as they approach the promised land. The greatest of these is the commandment of Love. They were to love God with all their heart, soul, and strength. Everything we have is from God and we owe him our very lives. Parents must teach their children how to love God and their neighbour from the beginning. Many adults do not know how to love because they missed that important lesson growing up. “Those neighbours are evil, witches, do not associate with them”. Did your parents teach you to love or to hate? What are you teaching your children today?
In the Gospel reading, Jesus emphasizes the commandment of love of God and neighbour. These two commandments are intertwined in such a way that we cannot separate them. The love of the neighbour depends on the love of God and the love of God is depicted by the love of the neighbour. In other words, the grace of God impels us to love our neighbour, and the care for the neighbour demonstrates that we love God. “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother (sister), he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother (sister) whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:19-21).
The question is do we understand what love is? How many people are suffering because they think they love or are loved? How many people have become slaves or have lost their lives because of love? How many abandoned their faith in God because they loved? It seems we all need a lesson on the true meaning of love. Loving like God loves us. St. Paul summarizes what love is: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, and keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Cor 13:4-7). I can add that love sets free. Is this what you mean when you say love? Do the person who says loves you show any of these symptoms? It must be understood by all Christians that to love God, and our neighbour is the very essence of Christian faith. There is a refrain that says, “The path to heaven passes through your neighbours compound”. It means that our relationship with our neighbours can either allow or block us from accessing the kingdom of God. But who is my neighbour? Jesus preached a kingdom of God that embraces all people of all nations, cultures, and beliefs. The Gospel message is not exclusive to Christians. Christians are only instruments of Christ’s love for all people. Unfortunately, some Christian preachers preach division and exclusion. Stay away from such mongers of disunity and hatred.
If we really want to inherit eternal life, we need to start loving as God commands us to. It is through the love for all that we stand out as followers of Jesus. “By this all shall recognize that you are my disciples, if you will love one another” (Jn 13:35). However, to love the neighbour should not depend on what the neighbour does or does not do but rather on what God has done for us. They say, “Treat people not as bad as they are, but as good as you are”.
The second reading talks about Christ, the high priest, who offered his life as an everlasting sacrifice for the salvation of the entire human race once and for all. The priest, who shares in the priesthood of Christ, only acts on his behalf, meaning that he embodies the priesthood of Christ. His role is to be Christ to the people of God. He does not act on his own behalf, but it is Christ who continues the work of redemption through him. Therefore, the priest should be a bridge and not a barrier for Christ to reach his people.
Dear friends, how do you consider God’s commandments in your life? Are they burdens or blessings? Do they increase or curtail your freedom? Many of our shortcomings are direct or indirect consequences of our disobedience to the commandment of love. When we love we are close to God’s warmth and grace. If we do not love, we stray far from God and consequently, we grow cold.
Have a blessed Sunday.
Fr. Lawrence Muthee, SVD
SVD JAMBO KENTAN 