Gospel: Matthew 22:34-40
The whole law and the prophets are founded on these two commandments.”
LECTIO DIVINA:
Read: The question of the lawyer in today’s Gospel was a current discussion among experts of the law in the time of Jesus.
The rabbis counted 613 laws the pious Jew was supposed to observe. They counted 365 negative commandments and 248 positive commandments.
Which then was the “greatest commandment?” The first reading from Exodus reminded Israel to observe the love of neighbor,
particularly the poor and the helpless (orphans, widows, and aliens). Jesus points to the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:5)
– the love of the One God – as the first and the second is the love of neighbor a portion of which is found in Exodus 22, our reading.
Reflect: The first 3 commandments of the Decalogue contain the law to love God and the other 7 are commandments that ensure
the proper love of neighbor. The first is intimately connected to the second. The second tablet confirms the genuineness of the first.
The vertical, the love of God, is verified with the horizontal, the love of neighbor. Mother Teresa of Calcutta had a great love
for the poorest of the poor because she had a great love first for Jesus.
Pray: The scribes and rabbis debate about the law. Holiness and salvation does not depend on knowledge but on action.
In the parallel of this Gospel in Luke 10:25-17 Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Act: It is good to examine ourselves on how we stand on the law of Love. If we were to give ourselves a grade,
in a scale of 1 -10 with 1 as the lowest and 10 as the highest, what would be our grade?
© Copyright Bible Diary 2020
