First and second commandments
02/02/16 05:29
There is an exchange between Jesus and one of the teachers of the law that is recorded in both the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Matthew. The teacher asks Jesus, “Of all the commandments, which is most important?” The question asks for a single answer, but in response, Jesus quotes two different commandments: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
The first part of Jesus’ answer should have been nearly automatic for anyone who grew up in a Jewish community at the time - and for Jews of many other generations. The Shema is the first part of the central prayer of the Jewish prayerbook. Often known by the first word of the prayer, “shema,” The complete first section of that prayer appears in Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Loving the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength is a memorized commandment, known by all of the faithful and a quick and easy answer to a question. The exchange between the teacher and the student is nearly automatic, like the first few questions of a Christian catechism or any other central tenet of a faith.
So there is no surprise in the beginning of Jesus’ answer to the teacher. The second part of the answer, however, is different. The teacher asks for a single commandment. Jesus gives two. And Jesus doesn’t expand the first part of the answer with the blessings of faithfulness to God as does the Book of Deuteronomy from which he quotes. Instead he jumps to a quote from Leviticus: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” In Leviticus, there is more than the simple words Jesus says, including specific instructions about how to harvest fields to leave behind food for the hungry, and leaving grapes for the poor and the sojourner. Proper treatment of refugees is as important as proper treatment of the poor throughout much of the laws of the Old Testament.
Preachers have expounded on this exchange between Jesus and the teacher for generation upon generation and perhaps there is nothing that I could add that is new. Some of the observations of others have been so repeated that I don’t know their sources any more. It is clear, however, that this exchange outlines the central tenets of Christian theology. Love of God is central, but love of neighbor is equal in importance. The teacher didn’t ask about the second commandment, but it was important to Jesus that he told the teacher about it.
I think it is because a commandment to love God alone could lead to a kind of arrogant self-righteousness. While it should be evident that loving God requires treating neighbors with compassion, that isn’t the way many people speak or behave. Instead they claim that their love of God - their way of practicing faith - is superior to that of others and that their superiority gives them some kind of authority to try to force the conversion of others to their way of thinking. It is almost as if they believe, “I love God so you have to agree with me.”
Jesus seems to be saying that our world needs more than people who have the right attitude towards God. It also needs people who are willing to invest in neighborliness.
Neighborliness, however, seems to be missing from much of public debate in our country these days. Serious politicians are proposing actions such as deporting 11 million people, building armed fences along our borders, and increasing the number of armed citizens and the amount of weapons they carry, and a host of other reactions to the fear that has captured our attention in the wake of acts of terrorism and domestic violence of citizen against other citizens.
Jesus’ answer is as relevant today is it was in the time of Roman occupation of Israel. Love God. Love your neighbor.
Over the past year, our congregation has taken a close look at issues of literacy through a joint reading of the book “Hot Dogs and Hamburgers” by Rob Shindler. (For the record, that book is different from the cookbook, “Hamburgers and Hot Dogs” by S.L. Wilson.) Shindler’s book is the story of how literacy tutors can make a positive contribution to the lives of others and to the community by persistent caring and connection. Inspired by the book, several members of our congregation engaged in training to become literacy tutors and volunteer their time working with students. Tutors sit next to, not across from, the students with whom they work. This way of working - sitting next to, not across from - is taught in most literacy training sessions. It is a basic concept for all tutors. Come alongside the person you are assisting, demonstrating your willingness to join with that person in solving a problem.
This process of coming alongside others is, I believe, an important symbol for all of us who seek to apply our faith to the world in which we live. Are we standing against others, confronting them with what we believe is our superior attitude, beliefs and ideas? Or are we willing to come alongside others as your neighbors.
The gospels contain several parables in answer to the question of who is the neighbor to which the commandment refers. The parable of the Good Samaritan is clearly addressing this question. The neighbor is the one who responds to a need. In the gospel, neighborliness is not defined by nationality or ethnicity or position of power. It is defined by the basic response to an obvious need.
We’ve plenty of self-righteous believers who can only remember one of the commandments. Jesus invites us to remember the second commandment. After all, “There is no commandment greater than these.”
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
The first part of Jesus’ answer should have been nearly automatic for anyone who grew up in a Jewish community at the time - and for Jews of many other generations. The Shema is the first part of the central prayer of the Jewish prayerbook. Often known by the first word of the prayer, “shema,” The complete first section of that prayer appears in Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Loving the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength is a memorized commandment, known by all of the faithful and a quick and easy answer to a question. The exchange between the teacher and the student is nearly automatic, like the first few questions of a Christian catechism or any other central tenet of a faith.
So there is no surprise in the beginning of Jesus’ answer to the teacher. The second part of the answer, however, is different. The teacher asks for a single commandment. Jesus gives two. And Jesus doesn’t expand the first part of the answer with the blessings of faithfulness to God as does the Book of Deuteronomy from which he quotes. Instead he jumps to a quote from Leviticus: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” In Leviticus, there is more than the simple words Jesus says, including specific instructions about how to harvest fields to leave behind food for the hungry, and leaving grapes for the poor and the sojourner. Proper treatment of refugees is as important as proper treatment of the poor throughout much of the laws of the Old Testament.
Preachers have expounded on this exchange between Jesus and the teacher for generation upon generation and perhaps there is nothing that I could add that is new. Some of the observations of others have been so repeated that I don’t know their sources any more. It is clear, however, that this exchange outlines the central tenets of Christian theology. Love of God is central, but love of neighbor is equal in importance. The teacher didn’t ask about the second commandment, but it was important to Jesus that he told the teacher about it.
I think it is because a commandment to love God alone could lead to a kind of arrogant self-righteousness. While it should be evident that loving God requires treating neighbors with compassion, that isn’t the way many people speak or behave. Instead they claim that their love of God - their way of practicing faith - is superior to that of others and that their superiority gives them some kind of authority to try to force the conversion of others to their way of thinking. It is almost as if they believe, “I love God so you have to agree with me.”
Jesus seems to be saying that our world needs more than people who have the right attitude towards God. It also needs people who are willing to invest in neighborliness.
Neighborliness, however, seems to be missing from much of public debate in our country these days. Serious politicians are proposing actions such as deporting 11 million people, building armed fences along our borders, and increasing the number of armed citizens and the amount of weapons they carry, and a host of other reactions to the fear that has captured our attention in the wake of acts of terrorism and domestic violence of citizen against other citizens.
Jesus’ answer is as relevant today is it was in the time of Roman occupation of Israel. Love God. Love your neighbor.
Over the past year, our congregation has taken a close look at issues of literacy through a joint reading of the book “Hot Dogs and Hamburgers” by Rob Shindler. (For the record, that book is different from the cookbook, “Hamburgers and Hot Dogs” by S.L. Wilson.) Shindler’s book is the story of how literacy tutors can make a positive contribution to the lives of others and to the community by persistent caring and connection. Inspired by the book, several members of our congregation engaged in training to become literacy tutors and volunteer their time working with students. Tutors sit next to, not across from, the students with whom they work. This way of working - sitting next to, not across from - is taught in most literacy training sessions. It is a basic concept for all tutors. Come alongside the person you are assisting, demonstrating your willingness to join with that person in solving a problem.
This process of coming alongside others is, I believe, an important symbol for all of us who seek to apply our faith to the world in which we live. Are we standing against others, confronting them with what we believe is our superior attitude, beliefs and ideas? Or are we willing to come alongside others as your neighbors.
The gospels contain several parables in answer to the question of who is the neighbor to which the commandment refers. The parable of the Good Samaritan is clearly addressing this question. The neighbor is the one who responds to a need. In the gospel, neighborliness is not defined by nationality or ethnicity or position of power. It is defined by the basic response to an obvious need.
We’ve plenty of self-righteous believers who can only remember one of the commandments. Jesus invites us to remember the second commandment. After all, “There is no commandment greater than these.”
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”