Today’s Gospel from Matthew is the third “trick” question from the Pharisees. Remember that in last week’s Gospel, Jesus bested his questioners with His response to the question about paying taxes to Caesar. The second “trap” question was by the Sadducees about the existence of resurrection (which they did not believe in). Jesus reminded his audience of how God had said He was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is not the God of the dead but of the living. In today’s reading, Jesus faces the third attempt to trap Him when a Pharisee scholar asks Him to name The Greatest Commandment. Jesus replies to love God “with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind”; and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus then concludes, “The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
The Pharisees are testing Jesus on what He thinks makes Jewish law meaningful and relevant. Remember there were more than 600 laws, so this was a question fraught with landmines. But Jesus avoids the quagmire by reaching directly back to a scripture passage any Jewish scholar would be familiar with: “Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Dt 6:5) “Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord,” (Lv 19: 18). Jesus summarizes all the 600 laws with this “Law of Love.” But what is this type of love? Early Christians used the Greek term agape to describe it as a selfless love of God for man and man for God. Agape always seeks the well-being of the other. It is a description of the Kingdom of God in its fullness, filled with intimate love, trust, and peace. But trying to live this “simple” “Law of Love” in our own daily lives is no simple matter. It is not easy to treat others with dignity and respect, especially when they don’t do the same. The same goes for forgiving others who have wronged us and refuse to even admit it. Here’s where the simple law gets difficult: there are no exceptions and no limits! Everyone is our neighbor, and we are always called to help. We are never done acting with love. As disciples we are challenged daily to follow His “Greatest Commandment.”